• Virtus.pro has signed a sponsorship deal with Parimatch that includes logo placement on the team’s jerseys and social media outlets.

• This is the organization’s second non-endemic Russian sponsor, alongside telcom Megafon.

• Last month, Parimatch also secured a multi-year partnership with the UFC.

Russian esports organization Virtus.pro  has signed a sponsorship agreement with betting company Parimatch, that will include branding on team jerseys, social media, and website. The deal will remain in effect throughout 2019. Last month, Virtus.pro partnered with another Russian non-endemic brand, telecommunications company MegaFon.

Parimatch currently offers betting on tournaments and leagues in Dota 2 , Counter-Strike: Global Offensive , League of Legends , Starcraft 2 , Overwatch , and NBA 2K . Virtus.pro currently fields multi-championship winning teams in two of those games, CS:GO and Dota 2.

Related Article: Luckbox Awarded OGRA Gambling License by Isle of Man Government

Parimatch reportedly has a user base of 1.7M, and recently secured a multi-year agreement to become the official betting and wagering partner of the UFC, across the EMEA region (excluding the UK and Ireland). The betting company joins fellow Virtus.pro sponsors G2A , Fragstore , Twitch , Mr.Cat, and LG.

“Currently, esports is the most dynamically developing sport in the world,” says Anatoly Merezhko, CEO of BC Parimatch. “Virtus.pro’s constant innovations and leader’s ambitions resonate with our company’s values. We are certain this partnership will allow both parties to strengthen their positions and create new opportunities for development.”

The Russian company joins other long-standing betting companies looking to establish a customer base in the esports industry.  Betway, for example, is sponsoring multiple ESL events throughout 2018, including the ESL Pro League, and is also a sponsor for Swedish team organization Ninjas in Pyjamas and the upcoming FACEIT London Major.

Currently, Counter-Strike appears to be the leading esports title for betting companies looking for sponsorship opportunities, likely due to the lack of any centralized league with regulations against such platforms. Developer-run leagues like Riot Games’  League of Legends Championship Series have strict rules prohibiting gambling sponsors, that only differ slightly across multiple regions. Meanwhile,the rules regarding CS:GO tournaments can vary somewhat depending on the company organizing the event.

BetwayCS:GODota 2Ninjas in PyjamasparimatchRiot GamesVirtus Pro