London-based esports organization Into The Breach has partnered with online crypto gambling platform, Shuffle.com in a seven-figure naming rights deal.
Financial terms of this new partnership were not disclosed.
Under the terms of this new deal, Into the Breach’s Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 rosters will be rebranded to “ITB.Shuffle Esports” (with a reveal on “all-new” Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2 rosters with top players and coaches “to be revealed later this month”), a new tournament series called Shuffle Masters to showcase up-and-coming talent (Tier 2 – 3 level team), several community initiatives on the FACEIT platform and elsewhere, and a seven-figure annual budget to support and grow the organization.
Shuffle.com is a gray market crypto gambling site that provides casino games and sports and esports wagering. Based in Australia, the platform is owned by Natural Nine B.V., which holds a gaming license in Curaçao.
Ironically, Into The Breach players and management, which are located in London, can’t actually use the crypto gambling platform legally. From section 7.3 of Shuffle.com’s Terms of Service:
7.3. Persons located or resident in Australia, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and any other location from which use of the Services is not permitted under applicable laws or regulations or where provision of the Services would require licensing or registration or which is embargoed by the United States of America, the European Union or the United Kingdom (the “Prohibited Jurisdictions”) are not permitted to access the Website or the Services. These restrictions apply equally to residents and citizens of other jurisdictions while they are located in a Prohibited Jurisdiction.