The Sri Lankan cricket team’s official sponsorship for the Asian Cup has been assigned to 1XBET, an online betting company specializing in cricket and various sports. The announcement was made by the Sri Lanka Cricket last Sunday (27).
This decision has ignited controversy, particularly in light of recent discussions in the parliament concerning the promotion of betting enterprises, including cryptocurrencies, during the Lanka Premier League tournament. Minister of Justice Wijayadasa Rajapaksa voiced concerns about such activities, raising questions about their alignment with local laws.
While 1XBET takes up the role of the official sponsor for the Sri Lankan team, the overarching sponsor for the entire Asia Cup remains the super11 company, led by Omar Khanna. Khanna, the proprietor of the triumphant B-Love Kandy team in the recently concluded Lanka Premier League, is based in Dubai and also runs a cryptocurrency startup called B-Love.
Minister Rajapaksa highlighted the contentious nature of cryptocurrency-based businesses in Sri Lanka, labeling them as prohibited trade within the country. The sponsorship choices for the Asian Cup have brought forth a debate surrounding the appropriateness of affiliating national sports teams with enterprises involving betting and cryptocurrencies.
