Esports teams sponsored by the bookmaker 1xBet banned in Russia may not be allowed to participate in the Games of the Future championship, which is planned to be held under the auspices of the government in 2024. Among them is the Argentine team Windingo, playing in the form with the logo of the bookmaker. Other teams may also be affected by the problem: 256 teams from different countries are expected to participate in the championship, and 1xBet now sponsors many esports players around the world. Experts admit that teams can find new sponsors among Russian bookmakers that are actively investing in this area.
The organizers of the Games of the Future championship, supervised by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, may limit the participation of eSports teams in competitions due to the inconsistency of their marketing policy with the compositions of Russian advertising legislation. The fact is that among the participants of the competition is the Windingo esports team for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive from Argentina, sponsored by one of the largest international bookmakers 1xBet, which does not have a license from the Federal Tax Service in Russia, and its website is blocked by Roskomnadzor.
The Windingo roster wears a uniform with the 1xBet logo, information about it with the corresponding photos is posted on the official website of the Games of the Future championship. In early February, the organizers announced that the team participated in test competitions of phygital games (the competition combines the competition in mobile sports and video games at the same time), which were held in preparation for the international tournament “Games of the Future” in Kazan. 1xBet sponsors many international esports teams, including Team Spirit, K23, Tundra Esports, OG Esports, MIBR and others.
The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) told Kommersant, citing the law “On Advertising”, that it is not allowed to advertise the logo of a betting company on the participants’ sportswear if it does not have a license to organize and conduct gambling in the Russian Federation.
The press service of the “Games of the Future” noted that “incorrect moments will definitely be eliminated”: “If the advertiser on the team’s uniform violates the requirements of the law, the team will not be allowed to compete until the uniform meets the requirements of the law.” 1xBet did not answer “b”. Windingo could not be contacted.
The Games of the Future in Kazan are scheduled for 2024. The competition is positioned as international. Among the video games announced at the Games of the Future, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, Mortal Kombat 11, etc. were mentioned as disciplines. In February, Dmitry Chernyshenko announced that 256 teams from different countries would take part in the competition.
In some cases, the arguments of the FAS can be challenged, but in this situation, the position of the service seems to be quite strong, says the interlocutor of Kommersant in the gaming market: “If participation in competitions is important for the team, the terms of the sponsorship agreement with 1xBet will have to be reviewed.” Such a restriction, in his opinion, may affect other teams.
Most likely, an agreement will be reached between the parties, Boris Gubkin, editor of the Rating of Bookmakers analytical portal, believes: “The team’s temporary refusal to use the 1xBet logo during performances at international competitions is quite possible.” At the same time, less than a year is left before the tournament, and contracts in eSports, unlike other sports disciplines, are not long-term, so during this time “the team can get another sponsor, including among Russian bookmakers,” Mr. Gubkin admits. Some market participants, including Fonbet, have already noted that they consider “Games of the Future” to be a promising direction (see “Kommersant” dated April 12).
