Premier League drops betting sponsors off shirts

The Premier League and its 20 clubs collectively announced on Thursday they will no longer have gambling sponsorship on the front of their matchday shirts following the end of the 2025-26 season.

The decision was announced following discussions involving the Premier League, all 20 clubs and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport as the government continues to review gambling legislation.

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England’s top flight becomes the first league to make this call voluntarily — Serie A clubs have not been permitted to have gambling companies as their main shirt sponsor since fresh government laws in 2019, while LaLiga sides had the same restrictions ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.

Eight Premier League clubs have gambling companies as front-shirt sponsors this season, valued at around £60 million per year. But they will have until the end of the 2025-26 campaign to phase these out, while there are no restrictions on clubs tying up new betting sponsors in the interim up until that enforced deadline.

Clubs will continue to be able to have gambling companies on the shirt sleeves of the kit and on LED advertising around on the stadiums, just not as the prominent sponsor on the front of the shirt.

The Premier League will work with other sports to develop a new code for what they call “responsible gambling sponsorship.”

Britain’s Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer welcomed the Premier League’s announcement, saying: “The vast majority of adults gamble safely, but we have to recognise that footballers are role models who have enormous influence on young people. We want to work with institutions like the Premier League to do the right thing for young fans.

“We will soon bring forward a Gambling White Paper to update protections for punters and ensure those who are at risk of gambling harm and addiction are protected.”

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.