Formula One has taken another step in its commercial strategy by signing a deal with betting operator Betway, which becomes an official partner within its data and betting content ecosystem. The multi-year agreement will allow in-race betting options based on real-time data coming from the cars and the sensors around the track, such as predicting which driver will pit first or comparing the pace of two cars over the next laps. This strategy makes its debut with the start of the season in Melbourne this weekend.

Beyond the specific agreement, the move reflects a broader trend. Sports betting is gaining increasing presence and visibility across global sport, both through sponsorship deals and through digital content and broadcasts. All of this takes place in a media environment followed by millions of viewers, including teenagers and minors. The phenomenon reopens a recurring debate: if categories such as tobacco were removed from sport because of their social impact, and alcohol faces restrictions in many competitions, why do betting companies continue to expand as commercial partners of sport?

The rise of betting as a commercial partner in sport

In recent years, leagues, federations and promoters have signed agreements with betting operators that go far beyond traditional sponsorship. Many of these partnerships include data integration, live statistics and new formats of interaction with fans. One of the most recent examples is the deal between the UFC and bet365, which makes the betting company an official partner in the United States and Canada, with on-screen odds during broadcasts and wagering options tied to the fights. The National Football League –NFL– has also signed agreements in international markets such as the United Kingdom and Ireland, where Paddy Power became an official partner for the 2025-26 season.

Competitions such as the Billie Jean King Cup and the ATP Challenger Tour have also incorporated betting operators as global partners in recent years. In other markets, such as Brazil, Série A club Corinthians recently renewed its main shirt sponsorship with betting operator Esportes da Sorte. Even Formula One has seen direct examples of this trend: the Sauber team competed under the name Stake F1 Team, linked to the betting platform Stake, before beginning its transition towards the Audi project that will officially debut in the championship.

At the same time, sport continues to maintain long-standing commercial relationships with other sectors. For decades, Liverpool FC maintained one of football’s most recognisable partnerships with Carlsberg, a beer brand associated with the club since the early 1990s. It is just one of many examples across the football industry. Recent research also shows the scale of betting’s presence in the sport economy: 296 of the 442 teams in Europe’s top leagues have at least one sponsorship agreement with a betting company, representing roughly two-thirds of the clubs across the 31 competitions analysed.

Partial restrictions and sponsorships that bypass regulation

Although the growth of betting partnerships has raised concerns in some countries, the restrictions applied so far are partial and vary depending on national legislation. In Spain, for example, LaLiga banned betting advertising on shirts and in stadiums in 2021 following government regulation. In Italy, the so-called Decreto Dignità also prohibited betting sponsorship in sport, while in England clubs in the Premier League agreed to remove betting logos from the front of shirts starting in the 2026-27 season.

However, these measures rarely represent a total ban. In the case of the Premier League, betting brands will still be allowed to appear on shirt sleeves, stadium advertising and digital commercial partnerships. Recent studies also show that betting advertising during sports broadcasts far exceeds the visibility of shirt sponsors, highlighting how exposure extends well beyond the main space on the kit.

Other clubs have replaced betting sponsors with apps or informational platforms linked to the same operators, while some agreements are structured as regional partnerships visible only in specific markets or digital platforms. In practice, these strategies allow the sector to maintain its commercial presence even when regulatory limits exist.

The precedent of tobacco and the limits on alcohol

The situation contrasts with the evolution of other commercial categories in sport. Tobacco sponsorship, which for decades dominated disciplines such as Formula One, motorcycling and tennis, virtually disappeared from international sport after the approval of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control promoted by the World Health Organization in 2003 and subsequent European directives. In Formula One, the last tobacco brands disappeared from the cars in 2006.

Alcohol, by contrast, remains present in many competitions, although with restrictions. UEFA regulations, for example, prohibit the advertising of high-strength alcoholic beverages in competitions when required by national legislation, but still allow sponsorship deals involving beer or lower-alcohol drinks. As a result, brands such as Heineken and Budweiser remain associated with major international sporting events.