London, Athens, Malta, May 16, 2024 – Betano, sponsor of Sport Lisboa e Benfica since the 2021/22 season, has renewed its sponsorship contract with the decorated club for three more years. Kaizen Gaming’s premium sports betting and online gaming brand was the first brand to occupy the sleeve of the official SL Benfica jersey and will remain as the ‘Official Betting Sponsor’’ until the 2026/27 season.

“We are thrilled to extend our partnership with Benfica as we embark on this exciting new chapter together. From working closely with ‘The Eagles’ over the past years, we’ve witnessed first-hand the club’s unwavering dedication to excellence both on and off the field, which is matched only by the support and enthusiasm of its fans. By renewing our support for Benfica we reaffirm our ongoing commitment to Portugal, the country’s football fans and its prestigious sporting institutions as well as the offer of premium, entertaining and safe betting experiences”, said Julio Iglesias, Chief Commercial Officer at Kaizen Gaming.

“We are very excited to renew our partnership with Betano, a leading sports betting brand, which continues to show a strong commitment to football on a global level. This agreement not only reinforces our successful collaboration, but also allows us to offer innovative experiences to our fans. The presence of Betano on the sleeve of our shirt symbolizes the importance of this partnership and is vital for our international growth and to consolidate our global presence“, added Bernardo Faria Carvalho, Director of International Expansion, SL Benfica.”

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In addition to the display on the official jersey, the contract between the two entities involves a set of mutual features and endorsements. The sponsorship agreement also extends to the sleeve of the B team’s shirt and also the Under-23 team, which plays in the Liga Revelação.

Anichess, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands and the progressive chess-based online strategy game developed in partnership with Chess.com and five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen, today announced a partnership with global esports brand Team Secret to further connect competitive gaming and Web3. John Yao, CEO of Team Secret, will join Anichess as an advisor.

Anichess is an innovative chess-based Web3 game developed in a collaboration between Animoca Brands and Chess.com, the renowned global online chess platform. Anichess provides a novel tactical twist on the classic game of chess by implementing spells that open up new strategies and gameplay, and that require players to rethink the rules of traditional chess as they uncover the expansive lore within the world of the gameboard. Anichess recently raised a funding round of US$1.8 million, led by Sfermion and Amber Group with participation from Fenbushi Capital, Aspen Digital, SNZ Capital, and others (see announcement of 25 April 2024).

Team Secret is a global esports brand dedicated to bringing together the best gamers to compete worldwide, while also delivering entertaining experiences to its fans. It offers advertising and promotional sponsorship, talent and team development, business management, coaching, and other forms of support to both professional and aspiring players in the esports arena.

The partnership between Anichess and Team Secret aims to solidify chess’s esports status by combining a new platform to play and learn on for an engaged audience of up-and-coming online chess masters. Ahead of the player-versus-player (PvP) mode launch later in Q2 2024, Anichess will receive input from Team Secret on its game design as well as support in bringing the spellbinding game to a dedicated community of esports players.

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“Esports has always been a core pillar of Anichess’ modernization of chess’ legacy,” said Brian Chan, head of Anichess. “Anichess’s engaging visuals, tools to improve and thrilling spells make it an amazing platform for all competitors, regardless of chess experience. We look forward to those willing to take on the challenge when PvP arrives in-game soon.”

“For how ancient the game of chess is, its esports scene is a fresh, rising star in terms of viewership, player base and tournaments,” said John Yao, CEO of Team Secret. “Anichess is a promising twist on chess, with even more of what makes the original great: compelling tactics, broad recognition and rewards for players willing to think outside the box and surprise opponents. I’m looking forward to guiding Anichess into the realm of esports and integrating the new chess platform into our dedicated community.”