The Suarez biting scandal has rocked the international media. It is unlikely that there is anyone around the world that hasn’t heard about Uruguay’s Luis Suarez being banned and suspended from football for biting an Italian opponent. However, in-game punishment wasn’t enough. Suarez is also being punished off the pitch, as his online casino endorsement has been terminated. 888 online casino did not immediately react to the altercation.
It wasn’t until several Twitter users called on the company to drop Suarez as an ambassador. 888 made a vague statement that it would reassess its relationship with the player, and shortly after decided terminate the sponsorship. “888poker signed Luis Suarez following a fantastic season for which his achievements were widely recognised," 888Poker said in a statement.
“Regrettably, following his actions during Uruguay’s World Cup match against Italy on Tuesday, 888poker has decided to terminate its relationship with Luis Suarez with immediate effect.” Online poker and online casino sites do not have a particularly stellar reputation in the public eye. By virtue of the nature of gambling, there will always be some individuals that look down on these sites and services.
As such, it is important that companies like 888 steer clear of any controversy – so, it seems to have been a wise decision. On the other hand, Suarez’s other sponsor – Adidas – seems to have decided to maintain its endorsement of the player. The company announced that it ‘would remind Suarez of the high standards’ that Adidas expects from its endorsed players.
This suggests that Adidas plans to keep the troubled player on board. In the football world, Uruguay has made it to the Last 16 stage of the World Cup. They will be forced to play the rest of the tournament without Suarez, so there is no telling how far they will go. When the Premier League season starts, Liverpool will also be without their star player since Suarez has been banned for four months.
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