With so much Premier League action taking place at Goodison Park and elsewhere in recent weeks, you would be forgiven for losing track of some of the notable developments emerging away from the pitch.

However, there is always plenty going on at the business end of the football world, with major deals being struck behind the scenes. A particularly intriguing one has taken place at Everton in the past month or so, with the club getting itself a new partner.

Official partnership

Last month, the Toffees confirmed that they had reached an agreement with My.Games that would see the latter become its Official Mobile Gaming Partner.

Under the terms of the strategic sponsorship arrangement, the club is set to promote titles from My.Games to its fans across the world. Furthermore, it is also hoped that Everton will be able to connect with new audiences globally via the My.Games community.

The latter is understood to have more than 770 million registered players worldwide, while the brand's titles include War Robots and Hustle Castle. My.Games also offers gaming across a range of devices, such as PC, console and mobile. Alan McTavish, the commercial director at Everton FC, told the club website that the deal highlights how My.Games understands the “global reach” that the team can deliver.

Gaming's growth

Source: Pixabay

Everton's decision to embrace mobile gaming is probably not that surprising considering just how massive the concept has become in recent years. So many different gaming opportunities are now on offer on mobile and major titles bring in serious revenue. For example, Sensor Tower estimates recently suggested that Tencent's Honor of Kings generated more than $258 million in player spending in April.

In addition, the sponsorship deal perhaps reflects football's increasingly close relationship with different parts of the gaming world. For instance, another area that has attracted plenty of attention in recent seasons is online casino gaming, which has grown to become a massive worldwide industry. Recent reports by Bonusfinder highlight how many brands are now operating in the space and competing to attract players in countries including New Zealand. The site also highlights some of the tactics they use, including bonuses such as free spins and cashback.

However, some of the brands referenced on the site, including Betway and 888, have also secured football-related sponsorship deals. The former has been a principal partner of West Ham for six years, while Cardiff City announced that 888sport had become its global betting partner and training wear sponsor in October.

Developing relationship

Football clubs are striking all kinds of sponsorship deals these days, but gaming is an area that really seems to be attracting a lot of attention at the moment.

Everton's mobile gaming deal makes sense in the current climate, but it is also interesting to reflect on the way that other areas like online casino gaming are being embraced by the sport. With many forms of gaming going from strength to strength at present, it will be fascinating to see what comes next as this relationship develops.