Galatasaray seals $14M sponsorship deal despite illegal betting claims

Galatasaray‘s recent sponsorship deal with the website Meritking.news has triggered widespread criticism, primarily due to the site’s alleged links to illegal betting activities.

The controversial sponsorship, revealed during the match against Caykur Rizespor on Sept. 14, led to intense discussions on social media. Fans and observers raised concerns about the club’s connection to the Cyprus-based news site, which is linked to the illegal gambling platform, Meritking.

Galatasaray officials defend new sponsorship amid criticism

In response to the mounting criticism, the club’s Vice President Niyazi Yelkencioglu provided clarity, stressing that the contract was signed solely with the sports news portal, not an illegal betting site.

“Look at the website’s content,” Yelkencioglu remarked in an interview with Turkish news outlet, Sozcu. “What proof is there that it’s an illegal betting portal?” He reiterated that the deal was reviewed thoroughly by both the club’s legal team and external experts.

The vice president also assured that the club had included a safeguard in the agreement, granting them the right to terminate the contract if any illegal gambling content appeared on the site.

“We took every legal precaution in this contract, and if Meritking.news starts sharing illegal content tomorrow, we have the unilateral right to end the agreement,” he explained. Yelkencioglu pointed out that several European football clubs, such as Torino and Frankfurt, had also signed similar deals with Meritking.news.

Galatasaray seals multi-million dollar deal with meritking.news amid public concerns

Despite the public backlash, the club continues to emphasize the financial importance of the deal. According to their official statement submitted to the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP), the club secured a two-year sponsorship contract worth $3.15 million per year, totaling $14.06 million over two football seasons. The sponsorship covers the men’s football team’s games in the Türkiye Trendyol Super League and Türkiye Ziraat Cup.

“Galatasaray made a significant financial gain from this agreement,” Yelkencioglu stated, but quickly added, “However, no amount of money is more valuable than the image of the club, which has a proud history.”

He stressed that the club’s legal team, along with Can Natan, who oversees legal matters on the board, meticulously examined every detail of the contract to prevent any harm to the club’s reputation.

Net holding’s legal battle adds pressure to Galatasaray’s sponsorship decision

While Galatasaray continues to defend its decision, Net Holding, the rightful owner of the Merit brand, strongly opposes the use of its name in association with Meritking.news. Hande Tibuk, a senior representative of Net Holding, made it clear that the company has been in a long-standing legal battle against the illegal use of its brand by the gambling website Meritking.

“Net Holding has been using every legal avenue to protect the Merit brand from unauthorized use,” Tibuk stated in a social media post. She further explained that the holding company has sent an official notice to Galatasaray, requesting that the club end its sponsorship with Meritking.news immediately. Tibuk insisted, “We continue our legal fight against the owners of Meritking, who operate an illegal betting platform.”

Despite these legal warnings, Galatasaray maintains that their agreement was made with the news site alone, distancing the club from any direct connection to illegal betting activities. However, the criticism from Net Holding and ongoing legal pressure could impact the future of the sponsorship deal.