Table of Contents
(AsiaGameHub) – Premier League football clubs are set to face an £80 million revenue gap as gambling companies pull out of front-of-shirt sponsorship deals ahead of the 2026-27 season, The Guardian has reported.
The voluntary ban, due to take effect at the end of this Premier League season, was agreed upon in 2023 by clubs in consultation with the UK government. It aims to reduce gambling advertising within the sport.
According to the investigation, nine Premier League clubs have not yet finalized new front-of-shirt sponsorship deals for next season. Meanwhile, a total of 12 clubs remain without signed agreements as the new season draws near.
However, some already signed deals indicate that sponsorship values have dropped significantly. For example, Bournemouth and Brentford have shifted existing stadium or training partners to front-of-shirt sponsor roles, but at much lower fees.
Notably, Everton has chosen to keep Stake—its current front-of-shirt sponsor—as a sleeve sponsor, despite the operator being banned from the UK market last year.
Stake came under scrutiny last year when the platform lost access to the UK market following action by the Gambling Commission related to its white-label arrangements.
Several clubs are reportedly receiving offers that are roughly half the value of their previous gambling sponsorships.
“Nearly everyone is losing money,” a senior club executive told The Guardian about ongoing negotiations.
“Outside the big six, shirt sponsorship offers have fallen by around 50% from the previous range of £8m to £12m per season. There may be some exceptions, but it’s a very difficult market. And as some clubs switch sleeve or training kit partners to front-of-shirt roles, there’s a knock-on effect on those deals too.”
Blanket ban on unlicensed gambling sponsorships
A proposed total ban on unlicensed gambling sponsorships in football further threatens the sport’s finances, as the UK’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) launched a consultation in February.
UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “It’s not right that unlicensed gambling operators can sponsor some of our biggest football clubs, raising their profile and potentially drawing fans to sites that don’t meet our regulatory standards.”
The move aims to stamp out money laundering practices through offshore or unlicensed operations.
The timeline for this ban is unclear, but Melanie Ellis, partner at Northridge Law, recently told iGB that despite potential lengthy legislative changes, she expected “something [could be] tabled before the summer.”
“I anticipate the [two parties] will want to implement this [ban] within a reasonably short timeframe, but my view is at least 18 months will be needed to complete the consultation process and get the necessary legislation approved and enforced,” she added.
This article is provided by a third-party. AsiaGameHub (https://asiagamehub.com/) makes no warranties regarding its content.
AsiaGameHub delivers targeted distribution for iGaming, Casino, and eSports, connecting 3,000+ premium Asian media outlets and 80,000+ specialized influencers across ASEAN.
