The igaming industry is yet to unlock the “untapped” commercial potential of women’s football, according to ex-professional footballer and the Commercial Director of Game Changing Media, Jamie Mitchell.

Appearing on the latest episode of Digital Footprints’ video series, Footprints in the Market, Mitchell said: “[Women’s football] is booming right now, certainly in England and across Europe. From an igaming perspective, there’s a large audience and, if you look at the percentages, there are a lot of women who gamble. I think it’s a great opportunity for igaming companies to get involved in women’s sports and increase the visibility of women’s sports.

“If a large igaming company or a betting company invested in a large sports club, it could encourage other brands to get involved as well. It could be the catalyst for other brands to get involved and put a lot of money into the women’s game. It will have a large impact on the game, on the coaches and the players and on the infrastructure.”

Sponsorship by gambling organisations has come under scrutiny in men’s football and this is no different in the women’s game.

The Women’s Super League in England was among organisations such as the EFL and FA who agreed to a new code of conduct for gambling advertisements. Additionally in Scotland, teams competing in the Scottish Women’s Premier League agreed to a ban on sponsorship from companies producing age-restricted products.

However, Mitchell believes that the prohibition in the Scottish game could be a “double-edged sword”.

“We’re crying out for money up here [in Scotland] and the money could come in from igaming companies,” explained Mitchell.

“If that was reinvested in women’s football [it could be used] for education programmes for gambling and equality in men’s and women’s football. The men’s football is sponsored by William Hill so what’s to stop the women’s game? I get their point but I think we need to look beyond that and take the money and reinvest it in the right ways.”

Stuck in the past

Mitchell spent time at clubs such as Norwich City, Clyde and Partick Thistle during his ten-year career spanning from 1995 to 2005. Despite retiring from football almost a decade ago, he explained that “not much has changed in the sponsorship landscape” since he stopped playing.

He said: “Commercial teams and everything seems to be exactly the same as when I played. Times have changed in all other aspects of life since then, so it seems surprising to me that the football world can’t see the opportunities that are there.

“Even at a lower level in Scotland, there’s a lot of interest in these guys that can be capitalised on and companies can get involved with that and get their brands across using these players. They are playing on a Saturday, playing on a Wednesday, there’s training videos, there’s social media, so there’s everything that can be done for sponsors to get involved with these players.”

Hosted by Digital Footprints’ Managing Director, Sharon McFarlane, the Footprints in the Market video series is aimed at senior marketing executives in the igaming space. Each episode offers practical insights and expert knowledge from some of the industry’s top minds.

Also on the agenda during the wide-ranging discussion was how football clubs are lagging behind in their use of data off the pitch, Mitchell’s journey from football to igaming and how gambling sponsorships can be used to promote responsible gambling messaging.

Last week’s episode of the series featured Michael Baker-Mosley, Chief Marketing Officer of iGP, who offered his advice on how to stand out in the “crowded” igaming space.