Dimitar Berbatov Fronts LiveScore Bet’s New Safer Gambling Campaign

LiveScore Bet has tapped former Premier League striker Dimitar Berbatov to front a new safer gambling initiative called Play With Control.

Berbatov backs safer gambling.
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Launched to coincide with Safer Gambling Week, the campaign centers on a short film in which Berbatov links the discipline that shaped his football career to responsible betting behaviour. The video frames gambling as an activity that benefits from the same preparation, self-awareness and composure elite athletes use on match day.

Berbatov, a Bulgarian international noted for an unflappable style during spells at Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, explains that his success stemmed from visualising opponents and match scenarios ahead of time. "The game starts before the game", he says in the film, adding that mental rehearsal and calm when under pressure helped him make rational decisions on the pitch. He urges bettors to adopt similar habits: pause, consider likely outcomes and avoid impulsive responses when stakes rise.

LiveScore Bet positions Play With Control as a practical reminder that gambling should be bounded by personal limits. The operator highlights built‑in responsible gambling features available across its platform – such as deposit limits, reality checks and temporary time-outs – and encourages customers to use them to maintain control. The campaign messaging also stresses knowing the odds and accepting losses as part of the entertainment equation rather than chasing them.

Sam Sadi, chief executive officer of LiveScore Group, framed the partnership with Berbatov as a way to bring behavioural guidance to life for sports fans. He said the initiative aims to channel passion for sport into sustained enjoyment rather than harm: "Play With Control demonstrates how a calm, measured approach – combined with awareness of odds and the tools operators provide – helps fans keep betting within safe boundaries. Dimitar’s temperament makes him an ideal voice for that message."

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Industry Reaction and Practical Steps for Players

The campaign arrives amid renewed scrutiny of gambling marketing and player protection across Europe. Regulators, treatment providers and advocacy groups have repeatedly urged operators to strengthen messaging around help-seeking and to make safer gambling tools more visible. Recent research has also highlighted that many gamblers still find it difficult to ask for support when they need it, which operators say underscores the timeliness of awareness drives tied to Safer Gambling Week.

Operators typically point to a mix of technological and human interventions to limit harm. Standard measures include bespoke deposit and loss limits, session reminders, cooling-off periods and self-exclusion schemes. Many platforms also train staff to spot risky behaviour and to signpost customers to independent support services. LiveScore Bet says its Play With Control activity will be supported by in-product prompts and educational material aimed at helping users set and respect their own boundaries.

Experts in gambling harm prevention welcome celebrity-led campaigns when they are paired with tangible tools and robust signposting. One senior clinician, who advises treatment programmes across Europe, noted: "Celebrity ambassadors can open a door – they get attention and normalise conversations about control. But the real test is whether operators make safer gambling options effortless to use and whether regulators monitor outcomes rather than just messages."

For players, practical steps remain straightforward: set spending and time limits before you begin, treat betting as entertainment rather than a source of income, and use operator tools immediately if your behaviour starts to change. If self-help measures prove insufficient, independent support services and regulated treatment pathways are available in most jurisdictions.

LiveScore Bet’s Play With Control campaign signals a continued industry push to marry high-profile marketing with harm-reduction tools. Observers will be watching whether the initiative drives measurable changes in player behaviour over the coming months and how regulators respond to operator-led awareness efforts that pair messaging with product controls.

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