Parimatch’s exclusive international football deal with Argentina has been reiterated with their latest gambling advertisement, which includes Lionel Messi.

Having agreed a deal to become the sponsor of the national football team in Argentina in July 2024, Parimatch achieved a rare business move in the modern game, sponsoring a national football team.

Their latest ad campaign, released on July 11th, displayed a number of current Argentina superstars computer-generated, including Lionel Messi, Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez.

Using the tagline ‘One passion, one team’ followed by footage of fans celebrating Messi’s goal in the 2022 Qatar World Cup against Mexico, it looks like the company are attempting to ride the wave of the success of Argentina, who are the reigning Copa America and World Cup champions as well as being ranked as the world’s number one team.

Parimatch’s unique deal

While club football at the top level boasts many gambling sponsorships, there are no international teams, apart from Argentina, that have agreed that type of deal. 

However, their agreement states that it is exclusive to the asian region and meaning Parimatch gains visibility at AFA‑related events across Asia, rather than being a global shirt sponsor worldwide. 

Framed as a strategic global alliance, the Argentinian Football Association is focused on boosting its international visibility and diversified revenue streams through this partnership – with the World Cup in 2026 a chance to capitalize on the global interest.

Outside of the Argentina deal, they also completed a deal with Nottingham Forest to be their betting partner for the 2024/25 season and former Brazil striker Luis Fabiano was announced as a brand ambassador for the company in October, 2024.

Bigger news came in March 2025 when they agreed a deal to become the official bookmaker sponsor of UFC in Asia, looking to take advantage of the growing upward popularity of the combat sport. 

Argentina’s gambling ad worries

In March 2025, it was confirmed that the Argentine Senate advanced a bill banning advertising in the online gaming and sports betting sectors.

This meant sponsorships of sports teams, individual athletes, as well as any promotion of online gambling and sports betting in stadiums, their LED signage, sports venues, and other public spaces would be prohibited.

This would heavily affect the likes of Boca Juniors, River Plate, and the Argentine national team among its industry sponsors. Plus, influencers have also been banned from advertising gambling as well.

Since then, the bill hasn’t moved forward with the latest news revealing that the bill is mired in the Senate – and Argentine Deputy Maximiliano Ferraro has openly urged the country’s Senate to speed up the debate, with no official movement being reported in over 40 days.

Gambling companies fight for Argentina’s market share

A few gambling companies have a significant presence in the country, with Betsson AB’s Latin America successes – where revenues soared by 35% to €84.7m, driven by record turnover in Peru and Argentina. Plus, the rollout of a new mobile app in the country was a key factor.

Furthermore, Betsson also have a deal with Argentinian club Racing Club de Avellaneda and it renewed it’s deal with football giants Boca Juniors in January, 2025 and they’ve also branched out by sponsoring the Buenos Aires Premier Padel tournament. 

However, Betano’s intentions have been made clear after they agreed a transformative partnership with Kaizen Gaming to become the new principal sponsor of Club Atlético River Plate, hoping to break into the markets in Colombia, Brazil and Peru as well.

Other competition comes from Belatra Games who have strengthened their presence in the Argentine market through a partnership with Sportsbet.