Prem clubs use loophole to ‘ban gambling firms as main shirt sponsors’

Premier League transfer spending higher than last season

Premier League clubs are set to vote together to ban gambling firms from agreeing main shirt sponsorship deals from next season in a voluntary move which could cost them around £50million collectively. Representatives from all 20 top-flight clubs will vote on Thursday with a ban reportedly expected to be agreed, but a Government loophole could allow clubs to continue to reap the financial rewards.

According to reports, the proposal will be passed by the Premier League’s shareholders that includes ‘a compromise’ to allow clubs to continue to use gambling firms but only as a sleeve sponsor, which has proved to be another money-maker for clubs in recent years.

This is regarded as a loophole to avoid Government legislation, which explored a blanket ban on gambling advertising that would have hit over a third of clubs hard in terms of their annual revenue.

Eight Premier League clubs have betting firm logos printed on the front of their shirts as their main sponsor, with Everton’s deal with Stake.com and West Ham’s long-running agreement with Betway believed to be the highest value deals at an estimated £10million a year.

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The Daily Mail report the ban would commence from the start of the 2026-27 season, giving sufficient time to clubs to find a new main shirt sponsor that is not related to gambling activity. That is not expected to be an issue as all clubs that have current agreements do not have to break their deals, with the longest sponsorship deals running until 2025.

The next areas that could be targeted may lead clubs to approaching investment firms and hedge funds, with five financial companies already involved with the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham.

But Aston Villa chief executive Christian Purslow claims the move could leave clubs outside of the Big Six in the lurch, as gambling firms typically pay a premium compared to other sponsors.

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“The commercial reality is that to teams outside the top six, such sponsors offer clubs twice as much financially as non-gambling companies,” he said.

The move is unlikely to affect clubs such as Newcastle United, who are backed by the riches of their Saudi-based owners and would seemingly have no trouble finding a company in the Arabian Gulf to fund their sponsorship deal.

But for teams such as Bournemouth, who earn £3.5m-a-year from their partners Dafabet, it might prove to be a struggle to find firms willing to invest similar sums to have their bands showcased.

Brentford, Fulham, Leeds United and Southampton are the other clubs that would need to find a new firm to top up their sponsorship income, with a host of Championship clubs also agreeing similar deals.

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