Gamban signs with Ecstatic for first gambling harm prevention partnership in esports
This comes as concerns rise over offshore gambling companies targeting the younger demographic associated with esports.
Key points:
– Gamban will be the main sponsor for esports team Ecstatic
– The two will launch a range of support services for fans who may be struggling with gambling harm
– This is a landmark deal within the industry
Ecstatic has signed a deal with Gamban to make the organisation its main sponsor – marking the first partnership between an esports team and a gambling prevention organisation.
Ecstatic is a Danish Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) team co-owned by Oliver “zipeL” Behrensdorff and Jeppe “sneppen” Taggatz Jensen.
Not only will Ecstatic showcase Gamban, but the two groups plan to also launch a community Discord hub with links to anonymous peer groups, expert talks and practical tools for those looking to pause or stop gambling.
They hope this will make help easy to access and remove the stigma around it, especially for younger fans who may feel out of place reaching out to traditional avenues of support.
Around 80% of the top CS2 teams are currently sponsored by gambling operators, with a significant push in recent years driven by the rising popularity of esports and esports betting, as well as other sports banning gambling logos from the front of players’ jerseys.
Recently, Team Vitality announced Stake would be its global betting partner as part of a multi-year agreement.
The Stake logo was debuted on the teams’ jersey at IEM Cologne 2025, which hit a concurrent audience peak of 1.13 million viewers.
Several esports competitions have also accepted gambling sponsorships, with Blast signing a deal with Underdog for three events this year: The Blast Premier Lisbon Open, Blast Premier Rivals and the Blast.tv Austin Major.
However, when speaking to the Co-Owner of the team, the decision to choose a gambling harm prevention sponsorship over a gambling operator was an easy one.
Behrensdorff explained: “This is personal for me. I’ve had periods of problem gambling myself, and installing Gamban was my first step toward change.
“We’re not here to high-road anyone. We’re here to offer a lifeline to those who need one.”
Good to know: Gamban has also been extensively involved in blocking skin gambling sites for many years, a relatively niche and underground form of wagering within the esports scene
Ecstatic and Gamban are also setting out to prove that non-gambling sponsors can thrive in esports and inspire others to invest in the space, too.
Matt Zarb-Cousin, Gamban Co-Founder, said: “For 10 years, Gamban has helped people block access to gambling on their devices and begin their recovery.
“Partnering with a team that rejects gambling sponsorship entirely is a powerful first step. We hope this inspires others to invest in esports without exploiting addiction.”
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