William Hill, British Football Association Partnership

In case you missed it, check out CAP’s exclusive interview with David Bazak, Head of Affiliation for William Hill.
William Hill signed on as a major sponsor of the British Football Association (FA). The two and a half year deal allows the British bookmaker to utilize the English national team and FA logos in advertisements and other promotional vehicles. The deal will last until the 2014 World Cup, which will be held in Brazil.
WH Makes Bookmaking History
FA’s association with William Hill marks the first time that organization has worked, on a commercial basis, with a bookmaker. But no one seemed too concerned about any potential conflicts of interest.
In a press release, FA’s top sponsorship official Peter Daire said, “We are delighted to have William Hill on board. They have a strong track record in sports sponsorship and a considerable online and high-street presence that will enable us to strengthen our communication platforms for England and The FA Cup.”
Coup for William Hill
Not surprisingly, William Hill Chief Marketing Officer Kristof Fahey elated at landing the sponsorship deal, “This is an excellent deal for both parties and it gives us some very good opportunities to develop our brand across a wide variety of channels. The England and FA Cup branding and imagery will enable williamhill.com to promote its services and products that we can offer to our Casino, Games, Sportsbook, Bingo and Poker customers,” he said.
No American Equivalent
In the United States, a similar deal between Bodog and the NCAA would be all but unthinkable. The NCAA, and the NFL, are vehemently anti-gambling and were the primary forces behind the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act which is used to keep American states like New Jersey from legalizing sports betting.
Do you think governing bodies from other sports will follow FA’s lead and team up with bookmakers? Let us know in our Online Gambling Newswire Forum.