SA Rugby has announced that it has renewed its partnership with leading global online betting and gaming brand, Betway, for a further four years, with the sponsorship extended to include not only the Springbok men and women’s teams, but also the Blitzboks and Springbok Women’s Sevens sides.

The partnership, which has been in existence since 2021, will see Betway’s logo displayed on the back of the shorts of the four teams in what promises to be an exciting year for the men and women in green and gold, beginning with the Springboks taking on the Barbarians in Cape Town on Saturday, 28 June.

SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said: “As we’ve seen over the last four years, this partnership with Betway enabled us to work together in bringing our passionate fans even closer to the game.

“We are excited to extend our partnership with Betway as this will yet again stretch beyond the four white lines of a rugby field. Betway have brought some exciting initiatives to the rugby landscape, such as the Betway Next Phase, an exciting three-year initiative that helped develop, upskill and empower coaches in women’s rugby.

Advertisement

“Without sponsors, sport would struggle and we’re fortunate that we have a partner such as Betway that is passionate about growing rugby.”

Betway Africa’s Head of Marketing, Mark Rowles, said: “The Springboks are a team that have brought so much joy to South Africa and we as Betway are delighted to be behind the Boks for another four years, our journey has seen so much success for the team and that feel good feeling has certainly rubbed off on the Rainbow Nation.

“We are looking forward to playing a role in the success of both the women’s and sevens teams over the next four-year period and will be investing in the growth and accessibility of the women’s game.

“We will be launching our official Springbok campaign in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for our billboards across South Africa, where Springbok fans have continuously shown their support by being fully behind the Boks. We would also like to take this opportunity to wish the Springbok Women’s squad all the best for the upcoming World Cup in England that kicks off in August.”

The Romanian National Gambling Office (ONJN) has sent official notices to digital giants Meta and Google, requesting the immediate removal of sponsored advertisements promoting unauthorised gambling in Romania.

The ads, found across Meta’s platforms and Google’s search engine, violated national laws and featured websites listed on the country’s official gambling blacklist.

ONJN has called on the two tech firms to urgently investigate the presence of illegal gambling ads, suspend all related sponsored campaigns, and disclose the identities and earnings of the accounts responsible. The regulator also urged both companies to introduce preventative measures to stop similar breaches from recurring.

According to Romanian law, advertising unlicensed gambling services is punishable by fines ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 lei (€9900–€19,800), with authorities authorised to seize any revenue generated from such activity. Providing payment, promotional or IT services to unlicensed operators may also constitute a criminal offence.

Advertisement

The updated list of licensed operators and prohibited websites is available on the ONJN website.

Polemos, a Web3 gaming infrastructure platform, has announced a strategic partnership with Guinevere Capital, a prominent esports and gaming investment firm known for its investments and advisory roles in projects such as GiantX, iTero, Perion, Skybox and various other projects across the industry. Guinevere Capital has established a strong reputation for its work across global Web2 gaming titles, including League of Legends, Valorant, Rocket League and many more. This partnership aims to leverage the combined expertise of Polemos.io and Guinevere Capital to enhance and further monetise audiences across publishers, infrastructure players, gaming companies, studios and platforms.

The collaboration will focus on integrating advanced asset management and engagement tools from Polemos.io’s Forge platform with Guinevere Capital’s extensive network and experience in both Web2 and esports ecosystems. This will create new monetisation opportunities and improve player experiences by bridging traditional gaming with blockchain-enabled innovations.

Carl Wilgenbus, CEO of Polemos.io, said: “Partnering with Guinevere Capital marks a significant milestone in our mission to expand access to gaming rewards and unlock new revenue streams for the entire gaming industry. Together, we will empower publishers and studios to better engage their audiences and capitalize on the evolving landscape of gaming and esports.”

“Polemos has built an impressive piece of infrastructure that has plugged a huge gap in the gaming sector. We look forward to working with them to commercialise this,” said Dave Harris, a partner at Guinevere Capital.

Advertisement

Dave’s previous experience includes investing in and operating top teams and leagues in the Riot Games and Activision Blizzard ecosystems.

Guinevere Capital’s strategic involvement will accelerate the adoption of blockchain gaming infrastructure while supporting the growth of esports and gaming communities worldwide. This alliance underscores a shared vision to drive innovation, education and monetisation in the gaming sector by combining Web2’s reach with Web3’s potential.