Eight Premier League clubs are facing a significant financial hit as a voluntary ban on gambling shirt sponsors comes into force from the 2026/27 season. The move, which was voted through by Premier League clubs in April 2023, prohibits betting companies' logos from appearing on the front of shirts, potentially costing affected teams up to £80 million in collective lost revenue.
Clubs Affected by the Ban
This season, 11 Premier League clubs have had a gambling firm as their main shirt sponsor, including already relegated Wolves and Burnley, and West Ham, who could follow them into the Championship. Among the top-flight sides needing new deals are Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, and West Ham. Aston Villa, who won the Europa League, currently carry Betano on their shirts but had to use their charity arm, the Aston Villa Foundation, during the final in Istanbul due to Turkish licensing regulations.
Financial Implications
Research by Investigate Europe last year found that 296 of the 442 clubs in top European leagues had at least one betting partner last season. Another study in 2023 revealed that betting logos appear up to 3,500 times during televised matches. With just months until the ban is enforced, the majority of affected clubs have yet to announce replacement sponsors, raising the possibility that some will start next season without front-of-shirt advertising. The Guardian reported that this could lead to a collective loss of income of up to £80 million.
Clubs That Have Found New Sponsors
Bournemouth are one of the few clubs to have unveiled their new shirt sponsor, carrying stadium partner Vitality. Crystal Palace have struck a deal with software company Temporal, while Brentford are expected to adopt recruitment brand Indeed, which already sponsors their training gear. For teams promoted from the Championship, Middlesbrough, who face Hull City in the play-off final, would be affected as their shirt sponsor is a betting company. Their opponents, Hull City, are sponsored by an airline, while automatically promoted Coventry and Ipswich are unaffected.
Full List of Premier League Front-of-Shirt Sponsors for 2025/26
- Arsenal – Emirates (Airline)
- Aston Villa – Betano (Gambling)
- Bournemouth – bj88 (Gambling)
- Brentford – Hollywood Bets (Gambling)
- Brighton – American Express (Banking)
- Burnley – 96.com (Gambling)
- Chelsea – IFS (AI)
- Crystal Palace – NET88 (Gambling)
- Everton – Stake.com (Gambling)
- Fulham – SBOTOP (Gambling)
- Leeds – Red Bull (Drinks brand)
- Liverpool – Standard Chartered (Banking)
- Manchester United – Snapdragon (Technology)
- Man City – Etihad Airways (Airline)
- Newcastle – Sela (Entertainment)
- Nottingham Forest – Bally's (Gambling)
- Sunderland – W88 (Gambling)
- Tottenham – AIA (Insurance)
- West Ham – Boyle Sports (Gambling)
- Wolves – DEBET (Gambling)
The ban is a significant step in reducing gambling advertising in football, but it leaves several clubs scrambling to secure new partnerships before the deadline.
