West Bromwich Albion sign major Chinese sponsorship deal

EPL club West Bromwich Albion have agreed a shirt sponsorship deal with TLCBet, a Chinese online casino company.

The agreement will see the Welton Holdings-owned bookmaker, previously known as TLC178, become the Premier League side's principal partner. TLCBet's English and Chinese logos will be carried on the front of West Brom's playing shirts throughout the 2015/16 season.

According to the Birmingham Mail, the deal will be worth close to the £2 million asking price the club were seeking, and far in excess of the £1.5 million paid last season by Intuit QuickBooks - which has since defected to sponsor local rivals Aston Villa.

The club and the operator will collaborate on a range of activities aimed to increase awareness of each brand in key markets.

TLCBet brand director Mike Chong said, "We are absolutely delighted to have renewed our partnership with West Bromwich Albion, with our first ever shirt sponsorship deal. Following our success in the Far East, this deal amplifies our ambitions to put the TLCBet brand on to the global stage. This collaboration will be mutually beneficial and we are confident that we can help promote West Bromwich Albion to our customers in China."

TLCBET has a strong presence in the Chinese market, offering a range of casino games alongside a core sports betting offering, and previously served as West Brom’s Asian betting partner during the 2013/14 season.