The new Premier League season is almost upon us, with champions Arsenal hosting the curtain-raiser on Friday August 21 against promoted Coventry City. It will be a unique campaign in that, for the first time in a very long time, no gambling firms will have their logos displayed on the front of the teams’ shirts. The voluntary ban on such deals, which was agreed way back in April 2023, will finally kick in this season.
The idea is fair enough – it will protect children and vulnerable adults from being directly advertised to, although there are numerous other ways that betting operators can buddy up with Premier League clubs to display their branding… more on that later. Financially speaking, the veto is a damaging one for football. Over the past five season, the average number of the 20 Premier League clubs to have a front-of-shirt sponsor from the gambling sector was eleven.
Why? Simple: they were willing to pay more than most companies in other industries. It has left Premier League clubs with a bit of a headache, with estimates suggesting that the loss of income collectively could reach £80 million a season. But onwards the EPL must march, with 17 of its 20 members having agreed a front-of-shirt deal with a firm in a different sector – at the time of writing, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Sunderland were yet to reveal their branding for the 2026/27 campaign.
A New Frontier
🚨 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪: Twenty years after gambling firms were first allowed to feature on the front of Premier League shirts, clubs have now voluntarily ended the practice by voting to ban such sponsorships.
As a result, eight Premier League clubs were forced to secure new… pic.twitter.com/4nIKOUMMVy
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) August 14, 2026
During the 2025/26 season, eleven of the 20 Premier League clubs had a gambling firm on the front of their shirts. Finance (three), tech (two) and airlines (two) were the other main sectors, with tourism and food and drink making up the rest.
Finance & Tech
With gambling now off the menu, finance and tech have moved to fill the void. American Express, Monzo and AIA will continue with Brighton, Coventry City and Tottenham respectively, with Merseyside duo Everton – formerly partnered with controversial betting operator Stake – and Liverpool to be sponsored by CMC Markets and Standard Chartered.
Airlines
Meanwhile, Premier League new boys Ipswich Town will be sponsored by software firm Halo, while Manchester United will continue with Qualcomm Snapdragon. Arsenal and Manchester City have renewed their acquaintances with air travel, as they bear the branding of Fly Emirates and Etihad Airways respectively. Hull City have brought on board Corendon Airways, which specialises in travel to Turkey.
Drink Firms
And the sponsors of Leeds United and Newcastle United are refreshing, if you’ll pardon the pun: they’ll be showcasing the branding of drinks firms Red Bull and KNOX Hydrate this season. Of the eleven clubs that had a gambling sponsor last term, Everton have switched to CMC Markets as mentioned and West Ham have been relegated.
Other Sponsors
The remainder have opted for a rather diverse selection of sponsors, from Visit Rwanda (Aston Villa) and Vitality Insurance (Bournemouth) to Indeed (Brentford) and Temporal (Crystal Palace). The same voluntary ban doesn’t apply to clubs in the Championship, the second-tier of English football. Seven of the 24 teams will have a gambling sponsor, with Midnite partnering with both Sheffield United and Wolves. Coral have penned their first-ever sponsorship deal in football with Birmingham City, while Stoke City continue their long association with bet365.
How Are Premier League Clubs Still Being Sponsored by Gambling Firms?
If you thought that the connection between the Premier League and betting partners was over, think again. The goalposts have metaphorically moved, with gambling operators still seeking to partner up with EPL sides – just in different avenues, from training kit sponsorship to other commercial relationships.
On Sleeves
At least three clubs will have a gambling logo on the sleeve of their shirts: Aston Villa, who have renegotiated their old deal with Betano, Bournemouth (Mr Q) and Everton (Stake.com). And the workarounds don’t stop there. Manchester United have signed an agreement with Betway worth a reported £20 million a season, with the betting firm getting to showcase their branding on the club’s training kit.
In Stadiums
Betway get to work with one of the most popular football clubs on the planet, for a snip of the price of full shirt sponsorship. Their brand will be showcased on the advertising hoardings at Old Trafford, as well as on the collage of logos sitting on the backdrop to post-match interviews.
What About Cryptocurrency?
Of concern to many is the creeping influence of cryptocurrency on Premier League clubs. OKX and Kraken will be the sleeve sponsors of Manchester City and Newcastle United, respectively, despite these crypto exchanges largely being unregulated – as well as some being a haven for money laundering and other financial crimes. Is that really any better for the collective public health than gambling?