A lot of promotions in the MMA scene (such as the UFC) have partnerships with betting sites. However, Khabib Nurmagomedov says that his promotion, Eagle FC, will never establish gambling partnerships.
He spoke about the topic on a video posted by the promotion:
We have plenty of good sponsors that we work with and put on events. We don’t need bookmakers.
I believe that gambling is more dangerous than alcohol. I think it’s worse to advertise gambling more than alcohol.Bookmakers ruin entire families, you know that yourselves. How many young guys go on their sites, stay on them, and become addicted? Whole families get ruined because of it.
You know well how strong of an addiction gambling is. It’s the same as a drug addiction.
It would be the same if I were to advertise drugs here. Gambling and drug addiction are on the same level for me.
Khabib wants the focus to be on the sport itself, not on bookmaker or alcohol advertisements:
They pay big money. There are promotions that take their money, the bookmaker becomes their main sponsor and they don’t need any more.
We’re not moving in that direction. We pay attention to the type of product we give our audience. The only thing we promote is sport.
I don’t want the people that watch us and see alcohol or bookmakers ads. It’s very important to me. I don’t want people to discover a bookmaker from watching Eagle FC then go to their site and develop an addiction. That’s very important.
‘Bookmakers ruin entire families – they are worse than alcohol’ @TeamKhabib on why Eagle FC will never be sponsored by betting sites pic.twitter.com/ibUWJ3BEjQ
— Eagle FC (@EagleFightClub) August 24, 2022
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