Poll results: 888 right to cut Suarez ties
Two thirds of respondents say operator had no choice but to end its high profile sponsorhip deal following World Cup biting incident
888 was right to end its sponsorship agreement with Uruguayan footballer Luis Suarez after he bit an opposition player during a World Cup game last month, according to respondents to this week’s eGaming Review poll.
More than two thirds (67%) said the operator made the right call when faced with the tricky decision of whether to retain the global superstar as brand ambassador, or bring the deal to a premature end.
However the remaining 33% said 888 had acted too swiftly ““ prior to the footballer apologising in fact ““ and would suffer from losing such a high profile marketing tool.
Liverpool FC player Suarez was handed a nine-match international ban and four-month football-wide suspension by FIFA, who found the player guilty of biting an Italian defender in an off-the-ball altercation.
He has since apologised and now looks set for a big-money transfer to Spanish giants Barcelona, a move which will only see his stock rise in the global sports industry.
888 signed Suarez as a global ambassador for its 888poker brand in May. The operator responded quickly to the incident by issuing a statement just hours after the alleged bite to say it was reviewing its relationship with Suarez, before deciding to terminate the deal last Friday following FIFA’s verdict.