Gambling firm SportPesa has been left out in the cold by English club Everton who is eager to sever ties.
The team announced it would be distancing itself from SportPesa, putting an end to their current t-shirt sponsorship deal. According to The Daily Mail, “The Goodison Park club had two years to run on their terms with SportPesa, who are based in Africa, but after negotiations involving the parties, a decision has been made to cancel the £9.6million-a-year agreement at the end of this season.”
Luckily for Everton, the negotiations ended in their favor with confirmations that they do not have to pay a financial penalty for terminating the partnership which first began in 2017. Everton spokesperson said: “This has been a difficult decision but one that allows us to best deliver on our commercial plan and to grasp the new opportunities now open to us. The club would like to thank SportPesa for all of the work that has been done together. Our partnership has seen our first team visit Africa on two occasions, as well as former players and club staff, who take part in numerous activations in the region.
“This has allowed us to grow our own footprint in Africa and further strengthen our special relationship with the continent.” The team took to Twitter to make the announcement:
🔵 | Everton Football Club will end its partnership agreement with SportPesa at the end of the current season.
Full statement on https://t.co/Xu5xBqhT7G. #EFC
— Everton (@Everton) February 16, 2020
The team is rumored to be in the market for a blue-chip sponsor, who could offer a record-breaking deal for the team that is currently ranked 8th in the Premier League.
Reports have surfaced indicating the premature end to the sponsorship could be linked to the fact that SportPesa is a gambling firm. The unsettling association has been questioned, and according to SkySports, “board officials at the AGM were asked about their close association with SportPesa and how it could comfortably sit alongside the work the club’s Everton in the Community scheme did around mental health issues.”
Everton FC is based in Goodison Park, Liverpool and has been doing well in the 2019/2020 Premier League games, currently placed 8th. The decision to leave SportPesa is controversial, but well-received among fans who identify the contribution of betting firms to deteriorating mental health among football fans.
