English Premier League Bans Gambling Sponsors on Shirts
After months of speculation, the Premier League has moved to ban gambling sponsors from being placed on the front of shirts. The ban has been an ongoing source of discussion in the UK, and it comes just days before the rumoured reveal of the Gambling White Paper.
A Long-Awaited Decision
The discussion regarding gambling sponsorship in UK football has been ongoing for some time. Those in support of gambling sponsorships have argued that it is a great revenue source for clubs outside of the league’s traditional big six, while critics have argued that it promotes a culture of gambling and is potentially damaging to children.
The move comes a little over a month after a white paper for Premier League regulation was released. This paper highlighted the need for stricter regulations on specific Premier League areas, including sponsorships.
The new ban will not come into place until the start of the 2026/27 Premier League season, and teams will be free to continue to use gambling companies on the front of their shirts until then. Teams are also free to negotiate new deals with these sponsors until the start of that campaign. As of the 2022/23 season, eight Premier League teams have sponsors on the front of their shirts.
A New Code for Gambling Sponsorship
This move comes as the Premier League looks to move into a new era with gambling sponsorship. The current value of the betting sponsorship deals is worth around £60 per annum, which is a number that is difficult for the division to ignore. As part of the decision, online casinos and sportsbooks will still be able to be used in stadiums, and clubs will still be allowed to place them elsewhere, including on the shirt’s sleeves.
In a statement, the Premier League said that the announcement comes following an extensive discussion with clubs in the league, as well as the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. They said that the League is now working on a new code for responsible gambling sponsorship.
The Premier League becomes the first league in England to make such a move. Currently, the English Football League, which consists of the three leagues outside of the top tier, is sponsored by Skybet in a deal that is worth an estimated £40m per year. Many believe that the lower leagues in England are more financially dependent on these deals than the Premier League, which draws a global audience of millions and attracts a lot of lucrative deals outside of gambling.
Is the Gambling White Paper Close?
This move comes as rumours mount that the UK is finally set to reveal the Gambling Act White Paper. This will be nearly three years after a generational act of the UK’s Gaming Act was completed.
The paper will recommend changes to current UK gambling legislation. The nature of these changes has been long speculated over, and it is expected to be the biggest change to the UK gambling industry in decades.
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