Betano has become the main partner and shirt sponsor of Danish football club Brøndby IF, as the company continues to double down on its extensive sports marketing strategy.

The three-year partnership begins this summer and will see the Kaizen Gaming-owned betting brand predominantly gain recognition in the team’s Superliga matches, which get underway in August.

Julio Iglesias, Chief Commercial Officer at Kaizen Gaming, said: “We are very excited about this new partnership with Brøndby IF – our first in Denmark, where Betano launched just last year, and in Scandinavia as a whole. 

“Brøndby IF has one of the greatest histories and football cultures in Denmark, it has developed some of the country’s greatest legends, and is backed by incredibly passionate fans. We see this partnership as far more than a traditional sponsorship.”

Kaizen Gaming currently holds several partnerships in the sport with top-tier clubs. Some of which include: Aston Villa, River Plate, Portugal’s Big Three, and with UEFA for the Europa League, EURO 2024 and the Conference League. 

“The club’s ambitions align with those of Kaizen Gaming and Betano, and we want to be a partner that contributes to Brøndby IF’s continued development as one of the leading football clubs in Scandinavia,” Iglesias added.

A high-value market

The Danish Gambling Act of 2002 allowed state-owned Danske Spil to operate a monopoly on most gambling activities, including online betting. In 2009, the government announced its intention to end this monopoly, and on 1 January 2012, a mulit-licence market was introduced, the first of its kind in the Nordics. 

Several sports betting sponsorships then followed as various companies battled it out over market share, with a number of deals signed over the past couple of years. For example, NordicBet, a sportsbook subsidiary of Betsson AB, maintains the title rights extension to Denmark’s 1. Division.

Meanwhile, LeoVegas’ brand nye expekt has also recently taken advantage of the expanding space by entering into a sponsorship agreement with the top football league, 3F Superliga.

In Betano’s case, the company first expanded into the country in 2024. Other notable brands now operating in Denmark include bet365, bwin, Unibet, and 888Sport, and Betano likely hopes that applying its sports marketing strategy to Denmark will help it stand out in this competitive marketplace.

“This is not just a large and important commercial agreement – it is a strategic partnership with an organisation that matches our ambitions,” added Ole Palmå, CEO of Brøndby IF.

“Over the past months, we have had a strong dialogue with Betano about what such a collaboration could look like, and our views have been totally aligned. We are therefore very pleased with this agreement and the partnership, which will run until the summer of 2028.

“We are therefore very pleased that this agreement places us on the international stage.” 

The pair highlighted the importance of both ‘responsibility and professionalism’, whilst also promising that the deal will support meaningful causes through several new community initiatives.

Chasing prospects in Denmark’s booming gambling industry

As partnerships between operators and sports clubs continue to flourish in Denmark, a recent report from the country’s regulator Spillemyndigheden highlighted that the gambling as a market grew by 5.4% throughout 2024.

Out of five gambling categories, three saw a YoY increase compared to the previous year, for a total GGR of DKK 11bn ($1.65bn) (2023: DKK 10.4bn/$1.56bn).

Given the high growth potential and betting volume in the market, it’s not too surprising that international brands are keen to carve out local share. For Betano, which is no stranger to sports sponsorship, having amassed a huge partner portfolio from Europe to Brazil, partnering with a local club, Brøndby, falls in line with a tried and tested strategy.

Martin Sahlertz, Sales & Business Development Manager at Brøndby IF, concluded on the new deal: “Betano’s approach is very much in line with our vision of what a modern sports partnership should look like – with a strong focus on purposeful, brand-led content and digital engagement. Together, we aim to create activations that not only strengthen both brands but also deliver value to our fans.”

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