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In April 2023, the Premier League announced a voluntary agreement to remove gambling advertising from sponsorships on the front of shirts.
The decision was taken following “extensive consultations” with the UK government regarding its review of gambling legislation, which prevailed recently. budget announcement of the current Labor government.
The new arrangement will apply from the start of the 2026/27 Premier League season, and although the change will be apparent, critics would say it is nothing more than a simple moving of the goalposts.
Although the logos of various mainstream (and lesser known) gambling brands will be removed from the front of jerseys, these companies will still be represented on the sleeves of jerseys, on the back of jerseys, on training kits, on advertising boards around the field and elsewhere in the stadium.
This seems like a smart and calculated move, but one that carries risks.
Premier League clubs earned more than £1 billion from their shirts alone last season, taking into account the value of their contracts with kit suppliers, sponsors on the front of shirts and revenue from sleeve sponsors. Kit manufacturers have committed to providing almost £492 million across twenty deals. pic.twitter.com/SQ4xVTrx21
– Łukasz Bączek (@Lu_Class_) August 22, 2025
Premier League clubs have effectively self-regulated, mindful of pressures and developments at Westminster, with the UK government announcing a white paper reviewing the Gambling Act.
They have bought time to work around the new arrangements in tandem with playing partners, but there will be a significant void to fill on the front of the shirts.
The Premier League had previously suggested that “a self-regulatory approach would provide a practical and flexible alternative to legislation or outright ban”.
In addition to the approach initiated by the elite of English football, a code of Conduct has also been agreed between the Premier League, the Football Association (national governing body), the English Football League (levels 2 to 4) and the Women’s Super League.
Rather, it is a safeguarding position, based on four general principles regarding gambling sponsorship.
There is no imminent ban on gambling sponsorship on the front of jerseys in England’s lower leagues, and this situation is further compounded as SkyBet is the title sponsor of the EFL Championship, League One and League Two.
Reduced value of jersey sponsorships and overall revenue
In the current 2025/26 Premier League season, 11 out of 20 clubs have a gaming brand as their main sponsor and key partner.
These teams are Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Leicester, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, West Ham and Wolves.
That’s a lot of revenue to replace, with the collective value of these sponsorship deals exceeding £140 million per season, according to Football Media CEO Dean Akijobe.
As the Guardian reports, West Ham United vice-chairman Karren Brady said in a House of Lords debate last November that “the typical difference between shirt sponsorships linked to gambling and other games is around 40%”.
She added: “For some Premier League clubs, this decision (to ban gambling adverts on the front of shirts) will result in a reduction of around 20% of their total commercial revenue. »
1. Gambling
2. Finances
3. Airline
4. Food and drinks
– Technology
— Tourism
— No sponsor (Chelsea)[@Footy_Headlines] pic.twitter.com/U21Rj51sLz
– Goal Side (@goalsside) October 8, 2025
Following the voluntary ban announced in 2024, Western Ham has signed a front-of-shirt deal with BoyleSports for the current 2025/26 season, while Nottingham Forest have done the same with Ballys.
The relative change also comes after a number of Premier League clubs received a warning over their dealings with unlicensed gambling brands in the UK.
Bournemouth, Burnley, Fulham, Newcastle and Wolves have been reprimanded by the UK Gambling Commission for the risks of promoting unlicensed betting sites.
Many of these deals were concluded through TGP Europe, a broader white label gambling operator and agent, which subsequently left the UK market after the Gambling Commission fined it £3.3 million ($4.43 million) for multiple breaches of anti-money laundering rules.
Gaming companies affiliated with TGP remained active, but they had to ensure their domains were geo-blocked for UK users.
In the example of Nottingham Forest, their front of shirt sponsor Kaiyun.com (last season) was not accessible in the UK.
The crux of the matter is that Premier League clubs cannot determine who the ultimate owners, or beneficiaries, of these Asian-oriented and unregulated gambling brands in the UK are.
The advice given to clubs by the Gambling Commission was unequivocal:
“You will want to continue to ensure that your sponsorship and associated advertising deals are legal and do not pose a reputational risk to your sport.
“We advise any organization engaging in sponsorship of brands that do not hold a license from the Commission to manage their risk exposure. This includes ensuring the source of funds for the deal.”
As it stands, Burnley (96.com), Crystal Palace (Net88), Fulham (SBOTOP), Sunderland (W88) and Wolves (DeBet) are all carrying such partners for the final season of the current arrangement.
Betting company ‘supports’ Premier League ban
Interestingly, a BoyleSports spokesperson told Insider Sport that “we support Premier League clubs’ self-imposed ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship from the 2026/27 season.
In a nod to the changing dynamics between clubs and playing partners, they added:
“We are already exploring how to scale our presence in the stadium, on digital platforms and through direct fan engagement.
“Ultimately, visibility is important, but relevance and authenticity will carry more weight in the next era of football sponsorship, and we are committed to staying ahead of this change.”
Crypto to fill the void in Premier League sponsorships?
As for which companies will fill the void left on the front of the shirts, you can expect some movement from the big players in telecommunications, airlines, fintech and energy.
Another development to watch out for is the resumption of cryptocurrency exposure in the Premier League.
It will be a step into the unknown for some, while most others will embrace it with open arms…and piles of cash.
Last season, 14 Premier League clubs had some form of crypto partner, which represents an untapped revenue stream and one that will worry authorities.
Just as exposure to gambling is “reduced”, crypto will raise its head again.
Other examples in European football
In Spain, La Liga is one of the main European football leagues, but sponsorship of gambling has been completely banned.
A 2021 royal decree has broadly eradicated gambling sponsors on jerseys and stadiums, significantly reducing brand visibility, but in the background clubs including Real Madrid still have lucrative deals with gambling companies that do not operate in Spain.
Another interesting observation is the route taken by football clubs in Belgiumwho chose to bypass the new rules and the removal of game markings from the front of shirts.
Big clubs appeared to escape the new arrangements by promoting the gambling companies’ sub-brands on their jerseys.
These were essentially sports news app gateways to major gambling site portals operated by major sponsors, but authorities later launched deeper investigations and strengthened their approach.
Next season will bring changes to the Premier League and its clubs’ relationships with gambling brands.
It remains to be seen how significant this change will be and how long the front-of-shirt ban will last, but a new era is on the way.
Image credit: PremierLeague/X
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