Premier League returns with gambling sponsorship shifted but still present
Some 16 of the 20 Premier League sides still maintain some form of gambling partnership as the 2026/27 season kicks off.
UK.- The Premier League 2026/27 season has kicked off with the long‑planned ban on front‑of‑shirt gambling sponsorships now in force. The new measure has reshaped the commercial landscape of the world’s most watched league. It doesn’t mean that gambling promotion has disappeared, but it is taking different forms.
The ban was agreed over three years ago back in April 2023 amid political and fan pressure in a bid to avoid a mandatory ban from being included in the proposals coming out of the review of the 2005 Gambling Act. It’s worked for now. No mandatory ban was included in the Gambling White Paper, which was published just a month afterwards, and calls in the House of Lords to tag such a measure onto the Football Governance Act and Sports Events Bill were voted down.
The move appears to have broad public support. The ban was seen favourably by 77 per cent of respondents in a YouGov survey. Whether it can prevent mandatory measures in the long term may depend on whether the public perceives a real difference.
The ban is far less comprehensive compared to the mandatory measures in countries like Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands. Even in those cases, gambling operators have managed to find a limited range of workarounds to maintain visibility, including shifting sponsorship deals to foundations or sports news sites. In the Premier League, more options remain open.
As the season begins, gambling companies remain firmly embedded in the game albeit with different strategies. Bookmakers have pivoted to alternative sponsorships like training kits, shirt sleeves, LED advertising boards and “official betting partner” deals. Manchester United’s training kit deal with Betway is one of the most high‑profile examples. Betway also partners with Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Brighton, ensuring its presence across multiple stadiums. Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur have turned to Betano for sleeve and training kit partnerships.
Liverpool has struck agreements with Ladbrokes in the UK and Interwetten in Germany and Austria, while Newcastle United has deals with BetMGM and 8Xbet. Sunderland, newly promoted, has gone further, naming LiveScoreBet as its principal partner across sleeves and training wear.
Everton continues with Stake on its shirt sleeves despite the operator no longer having a Gambling Commission licence. However, that’s one deal that could be curtailed as the government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is currently running a consultation on a proposed ban on unlicensed gambling sponsorship in sports.
Not every club has embraced gambling ties. Coventry City’s owner Doug King cut ties with bookmakers entirely ahead of last season, insisting he did not want gambling promoted through his club. Nevertheless, while some clubs have distanced themselves, 16 of the 20 Premier League sides maintain some form of gambling partnership.
Some argue that the unintended consequence may be that gambling brands are now more creatively integrated into the matchday experience than ever before. Christian Purslow, the former chief executive officer of Aston Villa, said on The Football Boardroom podcast that betting brands have “shown a willingness to pay more money to be on sleeves, more money to be on training kit”. He argued that it’s a “misguided policy” with inconsistent and unintended consequences.
Premier League clubs’ deals with bookmakers for 2026/27 include:
AFC Bournemouth – MrQ (shirt sleeve and official UK online casino partner) and CopyBet (official betting partner)
Arsenal FC – Betway (global betting partner)
Aston Villa – Betano (shirt sleeve and official partner)
Brentford FC – Hollywoodbets (official betting partner)
Brighton and Hove Albion – Betway (official global betting partner)
Chelsea FC – Betway (official European betting partner)
Everton FC – Stake (shirt sleeve sponsor)
Ipswich Town – 8Xbet – (official betting partner in Asia)
Leeds United – BOYLESports (official betting partner in the UK and Ireland)
Liverpool FC – Ladbrokes (official betting partner in the UK and Ireland and Interwetten (Germany and Austria)
Manchester City – Betway (official global betting partner)
Manchester United – Betway (official training kit and global betting partner), Hong Kong Jockey Club (official community football partner in Hong Kong) and Parimatch (official betting partner across parts of Asia and MENA regions)
Newcastle United – BetMGM (official betting partner)
Tottenham Hotspur – Kaizen Gaming, specifically the Betano sportsbook (official training kit partner, and official Europe and LATAM betting partner)
Newcastle United – 8Xbet (official betting partner in Asia)
Nottingham Forest – Bally Bet (official partner)
Sunderland AFC – LiveScoreBet (principal partner, shirt sleeve and training kit partner) and Betway (official betting partner)
