Premier League clubs ban gambling sponsors on the front of shirts. A groundbreaking agreement under which Premier League clubs have banned match-day front-of-shirt sponsorship deals with gambling companies from the summer of 2026 has provoked mixed reactions.
The announcement that English football’s top flight has become the first UK professional sports league to voluntarily agree to restrict betting sponsorships received a cautious welcome from the founder of The Big Step, a campaign dedicated to ending the longstanding relationship between football and betting. James Grimes believes the clubs’ voluntary acceptance that things need to change represents an imperfect but important watershed.
“Although this outcome isn’t perfect, it’s a huge step,” said Grimes. “It’s a significant acceptance of the harm caused by gambling sponsorship. No gambling ads are seen more than those on Premier League shirts, worn by billions around the world. “
Premier League clubs ban gambling sponsors on the front of shirts
The Premier League said its clubs had agreed to the measure voluntarily, but what can be viewed as an uneasy compromise dictates that it will still be possible to promote gambling brands on shirt sleeves and pitchside advertising hoardings.
“Just moving logos to a different part of the kit while allowing pitchside advertising to continue is totally incoherent,” said Grimes. “The government and the sport itself now need to wake up to the reality that gambling ads are unhealthy, unpopular, and will be kicked out of football. Delaying that moment is risking the health and lives of another generation of young fans.” 
Eight of the 20 Premier League clubs – Bournemouth, Brentford, Everton, Fulham, Leeds, Newcastle, Southampton, and West Ham – have betting companies as front-of-shirt sponsors. The collective value of those contracts is about £60m a year. Aston Villa and Wolves wear betting-related sleeve adverts.
Tony Bloom, the Brighton owner, has made a fortune from sports betting but endorsed the ban. “I don’t think having gambling sponsorship on shirts is good,” he said. “But I understand the gambling companies pay best so it’s a difficult decision for clubs to turn them down.”
