Betting firm Betoro becomes naming sponsor for Danish Herreligaen

The Danish handball association, Tophåndbold, has entered into a three-year naming rights agreement with the betting company Betoro, rebranding the top men's league as the ‘Betoro Herreligaen’. The decision has drawn significant criticism from both sports officials and gambling addiction experts.

Kim Poulsen, managing director of Sønderjyske Herrehåndbold, expressed concern regarding the high exposure of betting advertisements to young people. While acknowledging that clubs have granted Tophåndbold the mandate to negotiate sponsorships, Poulsen stated he had hoped for a better solution than a betting firm serving as the primary league sponsor.

Henrik Thrane Brandt, head of the Center for Ludomani, described the deal as a ‘major setback’. He argued that naming a league after a bookmaker integrates gambling into the very brand and identity of handball. Brandt noted a contradiction between this commercial move and political efforts in Denmark to restrict gambling marketing to protect children and youth.