The 2019/20 English Premier League (EPL) season is now back in full swing. While fans spent the summer break counting down the days to the restart (and closely monitoring the transfer window activity), some operators used the time devising innovative ways to leverage new sponsorship opportunities with clubs.
Leading UK online sports betting operator, MansionBet, announced two high-profile EPL club sponsorship deals earlier in the summer, which sees them become the new UK Betting Partner for Newcastle FC, in addition to renewing their kit sponsorship of AFC Bournemouth for a fifth consecutive season. To maximise these partnerships – and to drive fan engagement – MansionBet commissioned SportCaller to create two bespoke Free-to-Play (FTP) games: Toon Predictor and Cherries Champions, respectively.
🏟 @MansionBet has become the club's new UK Betting Partner.
Read more: https://t.co/fOcKC5lmyu #NUFC pic.twitter.com/nX0CweCSot
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) July 29, 2019
These two new Sportcaller games are traditional predictor games in terms of their gameplay format, with players attempting to accurately predict the correct score and first goal scorer of the clubs’ weekly league fixtures. Where they differ from most FTP offerings is in relation to the prizes on offer. Instead of winners receiving either cash prizes or free bets, they win ‘money-can’t-buy’ prizes such as: training ground visits, meet-and-greets with first team players, or hospitality suite tickets for the games.
MansionBet putting a new predictor game at the centre of their new two-year sponsorship deal with Newcastle is further evidence that FTP is now being considered as a ‘must-have’ offering for sports betting operators worldwide.
The Toon Predictor and Cherries Champions games open on Thursdays, with the games closing before the start of the weekend’s chosen fixtures.
The MansionBet Newcastle sponsorship deal and Sportcaller’s Toon Predictor game news was covered in the EGR online publication. Our thanks to Jake Evans at EGR.