As many as 13 Premier League clubs are facing a significant downturn in revenue due to the voluntary ban on gambling sponsors and the exit of TGP Europe from the UK betting market.
It comes as a time when more and more scrutiny is being placed on the finances of Premier League clubs, with breaches of Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR) leading to significant fines or even points deductions.
Sponsorship revenue can be used to offset spending on transfer fees and player wages, but the upcoming disconnect between football and the gambling sector – as well as the demise of one of the most prominent white label operators in the UK – is leaving Premier League clubs with some difficult choices to make.
Propping Up the Market
According to reports, EPL clubs are facing a drop in sponsorship revenue of as much as 60% when the voluntary ban on gambling sponsors kicks in ahead of the 2026/27 season.
As many as eleven Premier League teams have a betting firm on board as a sponsor, displaying their logos and branding on the front of their playing shirts – which are, of course, sold in replica fashion to adults and children alike.
Into the final 10 pic.twitter.com/f7pZ6ytPMq
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) May 25, 2025
They can seek new sponsors when the ban kicks in, but for the most part it’s believed that gambling firms pay a considerable premium to clubs compared to businesses from other sectors.
According to Sean Connell, the editor of trade paper The Sponsor, betting operators pay significantly more for commercial rights.
“One commercial director told me their highest offer from a non-gambling brand was less than half of what a gambling sponsor had put on the table,” he said.
“The harsh reality is that gambling brands are currently propping up the Premier League sponsorship market. When those brands exit, the entire structure becomes vulnerable, as clubs struggle to find sponsors willing to match those fees.”
For context, Aston Villa’s deal with Betano is said to be worth £20 million per season, while West Ham bank £10 million a year from their long-standing partnership with Betway.
It will leave the Premier League clubs affected scrambling to woo the highest bidders instead, while others may have to sacrifice sponsorship income by signing deals with local firms or those only willing to stump up smaller sums.
For clubs like Aston Villa and Nottingham, who have a front-of-shirt sponsorship agreement in place with overseas betting operators, that might not be such an issue now that they have European football to fall back on.
But for ‘smaller’ Premier League clubs like Brentford, Bournemouth and Fulham, the loss of sponsorship revenue could impact how much they are able to spend on transfer fees and wages, with one eye on balancing the books to satisfy PSR.
Swift Exit
The situation has been exacerbated by the hasty exit of white label operator TGP Europe from the UK market.
White label operators with a UK operating licence sign partnership deals with bookmakers from overseas, particularly the Asian market. That enables the bookies in question to tap into the market via a .co.uk domain and promote their services – through front-of-shirt sponsorships and other commercial agreements – legally.
Some overseas firms didn’t even attempt to set up a UK facing betting site; instead, the marketing of their brand via TV broadcasts of Premier League games in Asia was enough to secure the necessary return on investment.
However, the government and the UK Gambling Commission have shown a certain appetite for clamping down on such white label deals, with TGP Europe – who have ties with as many as 13 different Premier League clubs – surrendering their UK licence following an investigation into alleged failings in their anti-money laundering policies.
With TGP Europe no longer licensed in the UK, a handful of Premier League clubs – including Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Wolves – were warned about promoting illegal gambling, with club officials told that they personally could face fines or even prison sentences for doing so.
An amnesty allowed the affected clubs to continue wearing shirts featuring the branding of their original sponsors until the end of the season in May, but they must now seek out new deals – potentially at a lower rate of income.
TGP Europe, acting as a third party, helped to secure hundreds of millions in sponsorship revenue for the Premier League. But that stream has now been cut off… leaving the potential for a significant downturn in how much money is on the table.