MUMBAI: Four Hero Indian Super League franchises – Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, Mumbai City FC and ATK Mohun Bagan – have come under the spotlight for sponsorship agreements the respective clubs have signed with entities having direct connections to online betting companies.
While Dafanews, sister concern of Philippines-based online gambling company Dafabet, lists Bengaluru FC and Chennaiyin FC as official partners, as well as being the principal sponsor of Mumbai City FC, online bookmaker SBOBET.com, owned by Isle of Man-registered sports betting company Celton Manx Limited, is principal sponsor of ATK Mohun Bagan.
As per their respective sponsor deals, Mumbai City – part of a global chain of clubs under the City Football Group – Chennaiyin FC and ATK Mohun Bagan will wear their respective sponsor’s logos on training and match-day kits as well as on the playgrounds.
When asked by New Indian Express whether the deal provides a surrogate route for the sponsor to promote the online betting brand, ATK Mohun Bagan stated: “SBOTOP.net is the sponsor and they are a sports news portal, covering various sports in India and worldwide.”
In response to NIE‘s query, Mumbai City FC’s spokesperson responded thus on Monday: “Mumbai City’s partnership with DafaNews is fully compliant with all regulations and we are looking forward to working with our new partner in this unique season ahead of us.”
Gambling and betting are prohibited under Indian law but the issue of online gambling remains a grey area and is yet to be adjudicated by the courts.
It bears noting that the Union government’s draft guidelines for misleading advertisements under the Consumer Protection Act prohibit companies from surrogate advertising.
“Advertisements for goods or services whose advertising is otherwise prohibited or restricted by law shall not circumvent such restrictions by purporting to be advertisements for other goods or services, the advertising of which is not prohibited or restricted by law,” the draft guidelines, released in August, state.
