The Premier League club, AFC Bournemouth, have announced a new three-year partnership with online casino operator MrQ, which will see the gaming brand become the club’s official UK online casino partner and the men’s first-team shirt sleeve sponsor through the 2028-29 season.
Under the agreement, the MrQ logo will feature on the sleeves of Bournemouth’s men’s first-team match shirts and adult replica kits, while the partnership also extends to AFC Bournemouth Women. Beyond branding rights, the collaboration will include fan engagement campaigns, exclusive experiences, competitions and digital activations aimed at connecting supporters with both clubs.
The partnership arrives at a pivotal moment for gambling sponsorships in English football. With Premier League clubs voluntarily removing gambling companies from the front of match shirts from the 2026-27 season, sleeve sponsorships have become increasingly valuable commercial assets, enabling betting operators to retain a visible presence while clubs diversify their sponsorship inventory.
To mark the launch, Bournemouth and MrQ unveiled an eye-catching activation on Bournemouth Beach, where hundreds of branded towels and a giant “Reserved for MrQ” installation transformed part of the seafront into a large-scale marketing campaign. The activation served as the opening chapter of a broader fan engagement strategy that will unfold over the course of the partnership.
Jim Frevola, AFC Bournemouth’s President of Business Operations, said, “We’re delighted to be celebrating the partnership with Mr Q and kicking it off with a very special activation on Bournemouth Beach. The creativity of it says a lot about how our partnership will work, and it’s going to be great to see how supporters and visitors enjoy it on the seafront. I’d like to thank everyone involved, and I’m looking forward to working with MrQ going forward.”
Rob Mitchell, Commercial Director at AFC Bournemouth, added, “Much like AFC Bournemouth, MrQ is a challenger brand that has grown dramatically over the last few years. They have a strong focus on standing out in a crowded market, and we can’t wait to deliver unique campaigns based on their ‘love to hate’ messaging. This partnership will create many exciting opportunities for our fans over the next three seasons, and we’re looking forward to working closely with the MrQ team across both the men’s and women’s game.”
Adam Ryan, Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer at MrQ, continued, “Why Bournemouth? Because they’re brave. They back themselves against clubs with far deeper pockets and keep proving that David beats Goliath. They’re the same instincts we’ve built MrQ on: honest risk-taking trumps safe and forgettable. And a European tour doesn’t hurt either!”
The agreement further strengthens Bournemouth’s growing commercial portfolio under Black Knight Football Club ownership, following recent partnerships with Chery UK, Hummel and Vitality. It also reflects a wider trend across the Premier League, where clubs are increasingly leveraging sleeve sponsorships, experiential marketing and fan engagement rights to unlock commercial value in the post front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship era.
