On 22 September 2015, the strongest Lithuanian basketball club “Žalgiris” officially presented its new general sponsor – Olympic Casino, the largest gaming company in Lithuania, which introduced to the market the betting, slot machine and online gaming brand OlyBet. The representatives of “Žalgiris” has stated that, with the new and powerful general sponsor, they are not only capable of strengthening their line-up by including more highly-experienced players, but also laying a solid foundation for the future of the team.

“Supporting the great sport has always been our goal, and the introduction of the OlyBet brand in Lithuania has finally allowed us to achieve it. We are entering the betting and remote gambling market in Lithuania, which will take effect on 1 January 2016. In the nearest future, we will open the first betting shops and strive to raise the Lithuanian betting market to a new level, by offering a different quality, the widest selection of betting opportunities, and modern technologies. Kaunas “Žalgiris” was chosen not by chance – it is the oldest and most-titled basketball club in Lithuania. Thus, there was no doubt. We have assumed long-term commitment to support “Žalgiris” and we believe that our partnership will further strengthen the strongest team in Lithuania,” said Saulius Petravičius, CEO of UAB Olympic Casino Group Baltija.

“We are really happy to start the new season by introducing our general sponsor. Its contribution this year has never been more obvious. We can reveal that the support provided by OlyBet just before the beginning of the season has significantly strengthened the composition of “Žalgiris” and will help to further promote the talented players of Lithuanian basketball,” said Paulius Motiejūnas, Director of Kaunas “Žalgiris”.

At the time of signing the agreement, Saulius Petravičius, CEO of UAB Olympic Casino Group Baltija, and Veiko Krünberg, Head of the OlyBet Brand and Betting at OEG, presented Paulius Motiejūnas, Head of “Žalgiris” Club, with a symbolic sign of support – a poker chip with a diameter of 1 metre, which symbolises passion and enthusiasm for the game. In exchange, Saulius Petravičius received a “Žalgiris” T-shirt from Paulius Motiejūnas.

At a press conference, Director of “Žalgiris”, Paulius Motiejūnas, together with Head Coach Gintaras Krapikas, Coach Šarūnas Jasikevičius, and Team Captain Paulius Jankūnas, revealed the team’s plans for the following season.

“This year, “Žalgiris” will have as many as five basketball players from the Lithuanian national team, who were exceptional during the European Championship. These individuals and highly-capable foreign players have formed a highly competitive team. We believe that, with the help of our sponsors and supporters, we can achieve excellent results,” said Paulius Motiejūnas.

The “Žalgiris” team has revealed that it will seek to preserve the title of the LKL Champion and expressed its hope to win the LKF Cup once more. Moreover, it expects to enter the Top 16 stage of the EuroLeague and is determined to be even more ambitious in the strongest European basketball club tournament, where it is going to participate with the current team members.

The OlyBet brand is the only licensed betting and online gaming operator that has been successfully operating in Latvia and Estonia for several years. Now it hopes to repeat its success story in Lithuania. OlyBet is owned by Olympic Entertainment Group AS (OEG), which also controls UAB Olympic Casino Group Baltija. The OEG Group operates in seven countries, manages 96 casinos and generates $150 million-dollar income annually. The Group has approximately 2700 employees. Moreover, OEG is a socially responsible company and a member of the European Casino Association (ECA). In Estonia, the Group is a supporter of the Olympic Committee’s activities. In Latvia, it sponsors the national basketball team and in Lithuania – the strongest basketball club.