Crypto casino announces first African fight sports sponsorship deal
One of the world’s leading crypto casinos and sports betting sites has announced it will be sponsoring African fight sports for the first time.
Stake.com, which is widely regarded as a leading name among crypto casinos, will be teaming up with the African Warriors Fighting Championship (AWFC) as a result of the fresh deal.
The Australia-based crypto casino was recently reported to be in talks to become the new shirt sponsor of Premier League football team Chelsea. However, the deal fell through following strong opposition from the club’s fans, along with a recent rule change by the Premier League that will soon see gambling companies such as crypto casinos banned from shirt sponsorships.
Stake.com has moved quickly to secure a replacement sponsorship deal by joining forces with AWFC, which is best known as the organiser of a Nigerian form of boxing called Dambe.
In the sport, fighters are able to strike their opponents with both legs, while they use one of their hands that is wrapped up in knotted cord and known as the spear to strike. Dambe fighters use their other hand defensively and this is known in the sport as the shield.
AWFC chief executive officer Maxwell Kalu described the deal as “the first of its kind”. He said in a statement: “Our partnership with Stake is a huge moment for African combat sports and an exciting step in our mission of taking Dambe global. Ancient, intense, and steeped in tradition, Dambe is unlike any other combat sport in the world.
“Partnering with Stake highlights the impressive growth of AWFC and demonstrates that Dambe is making a real impact in the minds of combat sports fans around the world. We’re proud to be Stake’s first partner in Africa and look forward to assisting the brand in raising awareness and expanding its user base across the continent.”
Branding for Stake.com will be seen on AWFC athletes, as well as on official uniforms and the fight arena. Stake already has a deal with UFC Champion Israel Adesanya, who is Nigerian.
Akhil Sarin, the director of acquisition for the crypto casino Stake.com, added in a statement to mark the new deal: “AWFC is a young brand with exciting plans, and we see huge potential for the sport of Dambe. Stake has built a reputation with our combat sports partnerships and adding this to our portfolio is a huge step forward as we seek to expand in the African market.”
