Lazio hit by fresh blow as Polymarket blacklisted in Italy | OneFootball

Lazio have suffered a fresh setback, with main shirt sponsor Polymarket blacklisted in Italy and its website blocked, Il Corriere dello Sport reports.

The Biancocelesti agreed a two-year front-of-shirt deal in April after nearly three years without one, worth €22 million. Calcio e Finanza reports the blacklist relates to unsanctioned activity under rules requiring gaming platforms to hold a licence.

Polymarket was banned last year, then challenged the decision at the administrative tribunal. The tribunal suspended the ban, allowing the platform to operate. With the court yet to deliver a final ruling, a new ban has been issued.

The company argues it is different from traditional betting platforms, describing itself as an NYC-based prediction market where users buy and sell odds linked to future events. It is presented as a hybrid between betting and trading.

Whether that distinction could restore normal operations in Italy remains unclear. Lazio could be prevented from displaying the firm’s logo while the ban stands, raising the prospect of an early termination and a search for a new main sponsor.

The situation piles pressure on Claudio Lotito’s administration, which is already confronting a fan boycott that could cost €20 million through reduced attendances and season-ticket sales.

Source: The Laziali