French soccer club RC Lens will be backed by online betting provider France Pari for the next two and a half years.

The company hopes to take advantage of the change in French law expected to revolutionise the French gaming market. At present, France Pari operates under a free to play model, offering players virtual tokens which can be used to bet on a variety of sports for a chance to win prizes.

France Pari will be RC Lens' back of shirt sponsor for the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons. The company will also receive exposure via advertising hoardings at the Stade Félix Bollaert, and launch a betting site on the club's official website.

"I am very pleased with our pioneering role in welcoming France Pari as our new partner," said RC Lens chairman Gervais Martel. "This combination is both innovative and relevant, with the online betting market, as we all know, set to become a major partner of French football in the near future."

The partnership was negotiated by Sportfive. Financial details were not revealed, but French media reports place a basic figure of €500,000 (US$700,000) per season on the deal, with the betting site possibly adding to that figure.