Lazio sponsorship deal in jeopardy as Italy bans Polymarket

Lazio faces the risk of seeing their €19m sponsorship deal fall apart after news that Polymarket will be banned in Italy for being considered illegal gambling.

The Serie A side has struggled in recent years to secure main sponsors for their jerseys, but had managed to sign the deal worth €19m in April.

The contract is meant to run for two seasons, with an option for the 2028-29 campaign as well. However, the agreement might be doomed before it even really begins.

Lazio struggle to get shirt sponsors

Polymarket is back on the list of blocked websites for the Customs and Monopolies Agency in Italy (ADM). The prediction market platform currently lacks authorization to offer services related to public gambling in Italy.

This issue sparked a legal battle last year, when the company argued it was not a traditional betting site, but rather a prediction market based on an exchange of odds between users. While Polymarket initially managed to operate during the appeal, Italian authorities blocked the platform again over the last 24 hours.

The fallout may extend beyond the club, as Polymarket also signed a multi-year agreement with Lega Serie A for the US market, utilizing official Serie A logos and trademarks on its American platform.