The Premier League has announced that clubs will voluntarily ban gambling sponsors from the front of match-day shirts from the 2026-27 season. The move, the first such voluntary restriction by a UK professional sports league, has drawn mixed reactions.
James Grimes, founder of The Big Step campaign, called it an imperfect but important watershed. 'No gambling ads are seen more than those on Premier League shirts, worn by billions around the world,' he said. However, he criticised the compromise that allows gambling logos on shirt sleeves and pitchside hoardings, calling it 'totally incoherent'.
Eight of the 20 Premier League clubs currently have betting companies as front-of-shirt sponsors, with contracts worth about £60m a year. Clubs outside the top six are expected to face income drops, as gambling firms often pay double other sponsors. Everton, for example, earns £10m a year from Stake.com.
The ban follows a government review of the 2005 Gambling Act. Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan-Smith, who lobbies for tighter regulation, noted the UK has 'the most liberal gambling laws in the world'. The Premier League said it is also working with other sports on a code for 'responsible' gambling sponsorship.
A three-year transition period until 2026 was agreed to avoid potential lawsuits. Grimes called for government action on all forms of gambling ads in football, warning that 'online casinos will exploit any voluntary measures'.
