In Belgium, direct gambling advertising on football shirts has been banned since 2024. But that doesn’t seem to bother many clubs. They have simply changed the names of their gambling partners to make it look like they are no longer gambling companies. The logos remain, but are now called “news sites”, “sports platforms” or “streaming services”.
This is how it works: the gambling company itself disappears from the shirt, and an alternative brand name appears in its place. But everyone knows who is really behind it.
This is how the first division clubs circumvent the gambling rules: all names, companies and tricks
Club Brugge worked with Unibet for a long time, but since the summer of 2025 it has had a new main sponsor: Betsson. To comply with the law, the club now uses the names Betsson.sport and BetFIRST.sport on its shirts. They sound like sports portals, but they are simply owned by the gambling company.
Charleroi has Napoleon Score as its main sponsor. That sounds like a sports results app, but it is simply a gambling brand cleverly packaged as an “informative sports service”. The sub-brand U-Experts, which was also used by Club Brugge, is part of this.
‘Napoleon Score is a smokescreen. It is not a truly independent brand, but a convenient way to keep gambling advertising visible on Belgian football shirts.’
A clever move to remain recognisable
Standard Liège opted for Circus Daily, a “news platform” that is officially separate from the gambling company Circus Casino, but in reality is still connected to it. So the gambling band is not gone, just disguised.
Cercle Brugge takes it even further. You can still see the original Golden Palace logo on the shirt. However, since January, they have added the word “News”. The difference is almost imperceptible — a clever trick to remain visible.
Beerschot and Dender both use Starsport TV as a so-called sports streaming platform. But this brand comes directly from Starcasino. What looks like a video platform turns out to be just a gambling company in disguise.
On the front or back of shirts
OH Leuven initially opted for a “clean” alternative, but quickly returned to the old familiar source of income. Star Casino TV has recently appeared on the shirt. It sounds like a media channel, but it is nothing more than a direct reference to Starcasino itself. According to experts, this is even against the law.
Anderlecht still has Napoleon Sports & Casino as a partner, but is adapting. From 2025, the gambling logo will only appear on the back of the shirt. Sunweb, a brand with no link to gambling, now adorns the front. Unlike other clubs, Anderlecht has opted for a cleaner separation.
KRC Genk currently has Start Sport as its sponsor. ‘Our partnership with the club goes beyond a logo on the shirts – we support the team, the fans and the future of Belgian football,’ is the statement of the partnership.
STVV uses two names: PepperMill Friends and Star TV. In their communications, they focus on ‘community spirit’ with slogans such as:
‘We build communities where success is achievable. Whether you are part of a team or an individual, we help you achieve your goals.’
AA Gent also displays Circus Daily on its shirts. As with Standard, this is a news platform that remains connected to the gambling world.
KV Mechelen collaborates with Bingoal Live and no longer displays the logo on its shirts. However, it is visible on the right side of the football shorts.
State-owned company exempt from the law?
Union Saint-Gilloise uses Lotto as its sponsor. Because this is a state-owned company, the law allows it to remain on the front of the shirt. This is therefore an exception.
Westerlo has 777 as its sponsor, a well-known online gambling site. How this is presented is less clear, but the brand is directly linked to games of chance.
Zulte Waregem has Napoleon Score as a partner, as does Charleroi.
Below are the most commonly used gambling sub-brands in Belgian football
What is Starsport TV?
Starsport TV sounds like a sports streaming service, but it is nothing more than a spin-off of the gambling company Starcasino. Clubs such as Beerschot and Dender use it to legally conceal the name “Starcasino”.
- The aim: to maintain the sponsorship relationship with Starcasino without it officially looking like gambling advertising.
- How recognisable? Logos and colours are often identical or very similar to Starcasino.
- What is it really? Not a real streaming service, but a marketing construct.
What is Golden Palace News?
Golden Palace News is supposedly a ‘news site’, but it simply comes from the well-known gambling company Golden Palace. Cercle Brugge uses this name on their shirts.
- Objective: To keep Golden Palace visible without officially including “casino” in the name.
- What is it really? Not a fully-fledged media platform, but a slight modification of the original logo — often with just the word “News” added.
- Trick: The logo remains visually the same. For the average viewer, the difference is hardly noticeable.
What is Betsson.sport / BetFIRST.sport?
Betsson has been the new main sponsor of Club Brugge since 2025. But the shirt bears the names Betsson.sport and BetFIRST.sport. That sounds sporty, but these are sub-brands of the gambling group Betsson.
- Objective: To circumvent legal restrictions by adding ‘.sport’.
- What is it really? Not an independent sports site, but an extension of the gambling company.
- Noteworthy: This is one of the most international structures in the Belgian league.
PepperMill Friends
PepperMill & Friends is an initiative that supports people who want to take a step forward — individually or as a group. Think of athletes, neighbourhood projects or community initiatives. Anyone with a goal or idea that helps others can apply. Selection is based on personal stories, goals, obstacles and the help needed. A jury chooses the projects that really make a difference. This is how they put their “Friends” in the spotlight.
Who is it for?
- Athletes
- Neighbourhood projects
- Community initiatives
- Anyone with a positive idea that helps others
PepperMill & Friends stands head and shoulders above other initiatives because it is not about numbers or publicity, but about genuine commitment. Last year, for example, PepperMill Friends gave up their position to the Kinderkankerfonds at SK Beveren. An initiative that was positively received in the media.
The law is not enforced, and clubs know it
According to sports management professor Bram Constandt, these are clear violations. The law states that the logo and name of a gambling company may not appear on the front of a shirt. Yet it happens on a massive scale.
The Gaming Commission is currently unable to take action because a previous court ruling has blocked any sanctions until the Council of State has issued its ruling. Clubs are aware of this and are seizing the opportunity.
‘As long as no one intervenes, we will continue to do what others are doing,’ said OH Leuven director Frederik Vancauteren earlier.
Politicians are looking the other way for now. The parties that previously advocated strict gambling laws are no longer in the majority. There seems to be little urgency to solve this problem.
It had already become clear that football clubs were circumventing the gambling law en masse through clever advertising constructions. When this was criticised in the media, the sector reacted fiercely. BAGO, for example, responded negatively to a critical article in Knack.