Manchester United Confirm New Betting and Gaming Partner

As one of the biggest brands in world football, it’s a big coup for anyone to land Manchester United as a commercial partner so their latest announcement is big news indeed. It sees the Red Devils confirm a new betting and gaming partner with operator MoPlay and while they may be an unfamiliar name to many, that situation will surely change over the course of the 2018/19 season.

MoPlay, as the name suggests, are focused on the mobile play market and are an unusual entity in the sense that they combine both gaming and sports betting into one package. As a quirky and new brand, this is clearly a huge step for the operator.

Moving on Up

MoPlay come in to replace MarathonBet who were the previous betting partner of United with the outgoing operator crossing to bitter rivals Manchester City. Exact details of the new arrangement have been kept under wraps but we do know that this is a ‘multi-year’ deal and it may well be a multi-million pound contract too.

Arguably, Manchester United are the biggest name in world football so it’s no surprise that the operator is excited to be on board.

First Steps

CEO of MoPlay Juergen Reutter commented:

We are immensely proud to partner with what we regard as the biggest sports club in the world. Engaging in such a high-profile partnership so soon after our inception truly puts our exciting new brand on the map.

As we embark on the first steps of our journey, it is our ambition to create the kind of successful dynasty Manchester United is renowned for.

In response, Manchester United’s Richard Arnold added:

MoPlay are an innovative and dynamic company looking to further enhance our fans’ gaming experience.

They are an exciting new brand that aims to modernise and improve the betting industry and we are delighted to be part of this journey.

Aims

Much of the focus is on MoPlay here and that is understandable as they are the ones looking to build their brand. However, even a cash rich football club such as Manchester United needs to keep the funds rolling in if they are to keep challenging in domestic football and in the wider Champions League.

As rivals Manchester City ran away with the title last season, United trailed home in second place after a rather dour campaign and the challenge for manager Jose Mourinho is to keep up with the ‘noisy neighbours’ and to take the Red Devils back to the top.

United have already been busy in the transfer market this summer with the acquisition of the Brazilian international midfielder Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk but they may return before the end of the transfer window with more funds as it’s perceived that the club is in dire need of a central defender. Leicester’s Harry Maguire and Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld are the main targets but as established internationals, either man would command a big transfer fee.

In order to keep pace with the rest of the division, Manchester United must continue to harness funds from high value commercial partnerships while for MoPlay, the contract represents a huge springboard which can really help to develop their fledgling brand.