Game change: the phase-out of gambling sponsors on football shirts

The Premier League's announcement of the same date,  confirmed the intention to phase out front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships with the transition starting once the 2025/26 season was concluded. 

As we have now reached the end of the 25/26 football season, does this mean we have reached a watershed moment in the commercial model of English football? 

Whilst is unlikely there will be a resulting wholesale exit of gambling brands from the sport, we are more likely to see gambling operators focusing on remaining options, notably sleeve partnerships, training wear and digital advertising. 

These options still offer meaningful visibility for sponsors, particularly given the Premier League’s standing both here and abroad. Such is the pull of the Premier League internationally, we have in recent seasons seen examples of a number of unlicensed gambling brands sponsoring Clubs (Stake on Everton’s shirt, for example, is now unlicensed in the UK), even if the intention is not to target UK gamblers. 

Sleeves still provide good brand exposure and of course, allow for the brand to appear on both sleeves. Similarly, training and pre-match kit, which receive extensive coverage across social media, fan content, and global marketing campaigns, represent a relatively under-regulated but commercially attractive space. 

For operators seeking cost-effective brand awareness, these alternatives can replicate a significant proportion of the reach previously delivered by front-of-shirt deals, albeit in a more fragmented way. Indeed,  to illustrate the point, it has been reported that Manchester United have just signed a £20m per year training kit deal with Betway.

However, the longer-term trajectory may be more nuanced. 

The UK regulatory environment, shaped by the Gambling Act review, increasing political scrutiny, and pressure from campaign groups suggests that even these alternatives may face tighter scrutiny over time.  

If that occurs, then we may see the gambling sector, and clubs, becoming more innovative in their interpretation of the rules. It will be interesting to see how businesses that focus on player performance data, in-play integrations, and content-led collaborations, that have incidental gambling advertising and links on their platforms, will be treated.

This evolving landscape creates a parallel risk: that unlicensed or illegal operators may seek to exploit less-regulated sponsorship channels to gain visibility. 

Over the coming months the government will be consulting on proposals to prohibit gambling companies that do not hold a Gambling Commission Operating Licence from sponsoring sports clubs, including the Premier League and English Football League clubs as part of its crackdown on illegal gambling. 

Over recent months several Premier League clubs have exited sponsorship deals with unlicensed operators. As restrictions tighten within the “regulated” environment in which football is broadcast and gambling sponsorship is controlled, these actors may look to global-facing digital assets, overseas markets, or lower-profile club relationships to establish their own brand recognition. 

Unlicensed gambling operators could be barred from sponsoring British sports teams, including Premier League clubs, under Government plans, announced in February 2026, to consult on a ban as part of a wider crackdown on illegal gambling.

Football’s global distribution, particularly via social media and international broadcasts, means that even a partnership that is technically compliant in one jurisdiction can still create exposure into the UK market, raising complex enforcement challenges. 

From a regulatory perspective, this underscores the need for a more holistic and enforcement-led approach. The incoming Independent Football Regulator, alongside existing bodies such as the Gambling Commission and the Advertising Standards Authority, will need to ensure that rules are not limited to headline sponsorship bans but instead address the full ecosystem of commercial rights. 

This includes strengthening fit-and-proper partner checks, increasing accountability on clubs and intermediaries, and ensuring that sponsorship arrangements cannot be structured in ways that obscure the ultimate beneficiary or target audience.

Ultimately, the success of the current reforms will depend on whether they meaningfully reduce harmful exposure rather than simply displacing it. If gambling sponsorship continues to flow into the Premier League without equivalent safeguards, the impact of the ban on front of shirt advertising may be largely cosmetic. 

The fact that in May 2026 Entain, one of the world's largest sports betting and gaming groups, wrote to the Premier League, the Independent Football Regulator and the 6 Premier League Clubs that have sponsorship deals with unlicensed gambling companies, requesting that non UK licensed gambling companies should be prevented from having sponsorship deals with Clubs, does illustrate the continued importance of this means of advertising.