Premier League set to ban betting sponsors in front of shirts. Where else should clubs look at?
Key highlights
Premier League clubs are on the verge of agreeing to a decision to ban gambling companies from advertising in front of their shirts.
Sponsors have always been an important source of income for Premier League clubs over the years, and this has made partnerships between betting companies and clubs very much common.Ahead of the expected release of a white paper on gambling by the United Kingdom government officials in April, Premier League clubs are keen on agreeing to a ban to avoid the government implementing legislation that prohibits gambling sponsorships on shirts entirely.A consensus vote on the matter is expected to be delivered at the Premier League’s summer meeting in June, but a majority of teams would support the ban if a three-year transition period is granted, to allow clubs the time to see out current contracts and source new non-betting sponsors. Sleeve sponsorships will still be allowed.Of the 20 sides currently in the Premier League, eight have gambling companies as their front-of-shirt sponsors. Here are clubs, betting sponsors, and year of contract expiryClub – Sponsor (Contract Expiry)
- Bournemouth – Dafabet (2024)
- Brentford Hollywoodbets (2023)
- Everton Stake.com (multi-year)
- Fulham W88 (2023)
- Leeds SBOTOP (multi-year)
- Newcastle Fun88 (2023)
- Southampton Sportsbet.io (2024)
- West Ham Betway (2025)
Not betting sponsors, then who?
Gambling sponsorships represent a fast and effective way for top-flight clubs to rake in revenues, but the influence of the sector on English football has been of great concern.The heavy advertisement exposes children and vulnerable people to an addictive product.This potential ban on betting partnerships would likely mean clubs will have their income cut by between £5 million ($6.2 million) and £10 million ($12.3 million) per season. Clubs’ commercial teams now have to diversify in pursuit of other shirt sponsors.None of the traditional ‘Big Six’ sides have a Betting company as their front-of-shirt sponsors, therefore others will have to rethink their strategies.Industries involved in Football shirt sponsorships.
- AirlinesAirlines are the main sponsors of two of England’s biggest clubs – Arsenal and Man City. Etihad has been involved with City since 2009, while Arsenal has been sponsored by Emirates for the past 20 years. Both companies have naming rights to the stadiums of their respective clubs.
- Financial servicesA mixture of banks, insurance, and trading companies make up the financial sector sponsors of 5 of the 20 top-flight English clubs. American Express and Standard Chartered are the shirt sponsors of Brighton and Liverpool. The Brighton sponsorship deal includes naming rights for the AmEx stadium. Tottenham, Leicester, and Wolves are the others.
- Man United (Team Viewer – Technology), Chelsea (Three – Communications), Crystal Palace (Clinch – Car retailer), Aston Villa (Carzoo – Car retailer), and Nottingham Forest (UNHCR – Refugee Agency) make up the rest.