Mr Vegas has confirmed a collaboration with League One side Reading FC, as the operator continues to tap into the value of the English Football League.
It’s a deal that will see the online casino’s branding feature on the front of Reading’s men’s first-team shirts during the upcoming season, and the operator said it will also utilise supporter-focused initiatives throughout the season.
Marco Trucco, Chief Marketing Officer at Mr Vegas parent company Immense Group, commented: “We were actively looking for a club that we believed could grow beyond its traditional footprint and become part of a bigger conversation.
“We believe Reading has the potential to become a social team with a national footprint – a club that people engage with because of its stories, personalities and culture, not just because of the result on a Saturday afternoon.”
Mr Vegas emphasised a belief in Reading’s ambitions to grow its social media presence beyond the average League One club, likening it to the operator’s self-described ambitions to not be a ‘traditional brand’.
Reading spent one year in the Premier League during the 2012-13 season. However, the club were plunged into administration due to financial mismanagement by their previous owner, Dai Yongge, leading to points deductions and transfer embargoes.
It builds on the growing presence of Mr Vegas in English football having partnered with both West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield Wednesday in the EFL, serving as the latter’s front-of-shirt sponsor last season.
The EFL, which encompasses the three professional divisions below the Premier League, is increasingly seen as a valuable avenue for engagement for smaller operators in the UK as sponsorship opportunities tend to cost a fraction of that of the Premier League.
Joe Jacobson, Chief Executive Officer of Reading FC, added: “From our earliest conversations, it was clear Mr Vegas understood what we’re trying to achieve as a football club. This partnership is about more than visibility – it’s about finding new ways to engage supporters, tell our story and expand our reach beyond our traditional audience.”