Why Irish Rugby Avoids Gambling Sponsors Unlike Other Sports

Why do Leinster’s South African venues have new names?

The opening rounds of the United Rugby Championship campaign see Leinster visit two of South African rugby’s most celebrated grounds with new commercial names. Ellis Park, the venue for Leinster’s defeat against the Lions, is now officially known as 10Bet Ellis Park following a deal announced in July. The team itself is called the 10Bet Lions.

Round two brings the province to Kings Park in Durban. Since 2023, the venue has been known as Hollywoodbets Kings Park thanks to an agreement that extends to naming the home team the Hollywoodbets Sharks. Kings Park is forever etched into Irish rugby lore by Ciarán Frawley’s match-winning drop-goal back in 2024.

Are gambling-themed franchise titles common in global sport?

Team-naming rights partnerships are not entirely new—Leinster beat the Fidelity SecureDrive Lions in last season’s URC knockouts. However, such gambling-themed franchise titles are “unprecedented in the world of sport,” according to Darragh McGee, an academic researcher in the field of gambling sponsorship.

Betting partnerships themselves are widespread across international sport. The English Premier League remains awash with jersey sleeves and pitchside hoarding featuring gambling partners, despite clubs agreeing to remove betting companies from the front of their shirts. Multiple English county cricket teams have partnerships with Asian bookmaker Dafabet. Across North America, all four major sports leagues—the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB—maintain official betting partners alongside deals with individual franchises.

Why does professional rugby union avoid betting sponsors?

By contrast, gambling sponsorship within rugby union has historically been conspicuous by its absence. In Europe, professional rugby union largely avoids such partnerships, with only a few exceptions. The Ospreys sport the name of betting company Quinnbet on their playing shorts, presumably because of bottom-line considerations, while the Leicester Tigers announced a similar arrangement with LeoVegas in 2018 that lasted two years. In France, Toulouse partners with OlyBet, and both the Ligue Nationale de Rugby and the Federation of French Rugby have signed deals with Betclic.

These examples remain limited despite well-known financial pressures at the domestic level. In the UK, multiple clubs have disappeared under financial strain, theoretically creating a scenario where cash-strapped organizations might take whatever sponsorship deals are available. Yet in Irish rugby, there is virtually no desire to be seen partnering with the betting industry.

“It’s been a set trend over the years from generation to generation that gambling is just not right for Irish sport,” says Colm Roche, a strategic sponsorship consultant. “It comes down to the market and the fans themselves, if gambling is accepted.”

Roche adds that Irish sport is built from the community up, steeped in culture and history from schools to the international level. From a betting brand perspective, partnerships would negatively impact that pathway and be viewed as a step backwards, which explains why Irish rugby has stayed away.

How do other Irish sporting bodies regulate gambling sponsors?

Irish rugby is not alone in its stance against betting companies. In 2018, the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) introduced a blanket ban on sponsorship from gambling companies. Similarly, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) opted not to pursue gambling partners at the national governing body level, though this restriction does not apply to individual League of Ireland clubs.

Provinces and the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) regularly receive approaches from betting firms, but these offers are quickly rebuffed. Ulster recently changed its shirt and stadium sponsor, partnering instead with healthcare company Affidea. That decision helped the club avoid negative attention following criticism of its previous relationship with Kingspan, whose insulation product was scrutinized in a 2014 Grenfell Tower fire report.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the stadium name changes take effect in South Africa?

The Durban venue became Hollywoodbets Kings Park in 2023, while the naming deal for 10Bet Ellis Park was announced in July of the current campaign.

Which Welsh rugby team displays a betting sponsor on its kit?

The Ospreys feature Quinnbet on their playing shorts to navigate financial considerations.

What year did the GAA ban gambling sponsorships?

The Gaelic Athletic Association introduced a blanket ban on betting company sponsorships in 2018.

More on this story: European Football Cracks Down on Betting Sponsors and Advertising