Premier League clubs agree to withdraw shirt-front gambling sponsorships
Premier League clubs have collectively agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of clubs’ matchday shirts from the end of the 2025/26 season. They will become the first sports league in the UK to take such a measure voluntarily in order to reduce gambling advertising.
The announcement follows an extensive consultation involving the League, its clubs and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as part of the Government’s ongoing review of current gambling legislation.
The Premier League is also working with other sports to develop a new code for responsible gambling sponsorship.
Agreement to begin at the end of 2025/26 Season
The collective agreement will begin at the end of the 2025/26 season in order to assist clubs to make the transition away from shirt-front gambling sponsorship. There are eight current Premier League clubs with gambling companies as shirt-front sponsors, with an estimated value of £60m per annum.
Outside the Premier League, a great deal of sponsorship deals involve gambling companies. Many clubs in the English Football League (EFL) are reliant on deals with gambling firms. The EFL, which is sponsored by Sky Bet, has previously said any outright gambling sponsorship ban for its 72 members would cost clubs £40m a year.
“Overwhelming majority gamble safely and responsibly”: The Betting and Gambling Council
Campaigners for a wider ban have argued that gambling sponsorship in football has normalised the industry. They believe that tighter regulation is needed to protect minors and other vulnerable groups.
However, The Betting and Gambling Council, which represents the industry, have stated that the “overwhelming majority” of the 22.5m people in the UK who bet each month, do so “safely and responsibly”.
They went on to say that the “rate of problem gambling remains low by international standards at 0.3% of the UK’s adult population – down from 0.4% the year previous”.
The Premier League has previously stated that “a self-regulatory approach would provide a practical and flexible alternative to legislation or outright prohibition”.