(AsiaGameHub) –   With the next FIFA World Cup on the horizon, the global soccer authority has moved to eliminate all non-FIFA sponsor branding from the tournament’s host venues.

As the event is scheduled across North America, a region where corporate naming rights are widespread, this policy will lead to the temporary renaming of several stadiums to geographic identifiers.

Stadiums to Temporarily Adopt Geographic Names

In accordance with FIFA tournament regulations, all logos and branding from companies unaffiliated with the soccer body will be removed from match stadiums. In Game noted this will cause 10 of the 11 venues hosting the World Cup’s 104 matches to undergo temporary name changes.

As an illustration, Florida’s Hard Rock Stadium will be temporarily called Miami Stadium. Similarly, the AT&T Stadium in Texas will be referred to as Dallas Stadium for the competition.

This shift from commercial to location-based names underscores FIFA’s strict stance against outside companies and its vigorous defense of its own sponsor partnerships. An exception was partially granted for Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium after experts concluded that modifying the sponsor-logo-bearing oculus roof mechanism might cause significant structural harm. Obtaining this waiver required months of discussions with FIFA.

Regardless, FIFA’s rule will impact gaming operators, notably Hard Rock, whose name will be stripped from its stadium. Furthermore, the massive physical Hard Rock sign will need to be concealed.

Other gaming companies with stadium partnerships will find logo removal less cumbersome, particularly FanDuel, as its branding on the Lincoln Financial Field scoreboard is digital.

Operators Still Have a Lot to Gain from World Cup

FIFA’s stance means American sportsbooks will have limited access to direct World Cup sponsorship deals. Although Betano is the official betting sponsor for the upcoming World Cup, it is not active in the US market.

FIFA did, however, sign an agreement with Stat Perform, appointing it as the official primary data provider and a conduit for licensed U.S. sportsbooks. The contract terms were not made public, but Stat Perform indicated they were stringent.

Despite missing direct sponsorship chances, industry analysts forecast the sports betting handle will set a new record, indicating the tournament could still be highly profitable for U.S. gaming firms.

Some estimates suggest betting volume could double the $1.8 billion wagered on the previous tournament in 2022.