The teams of the English Premier League have officially agreed to get rid of gambling-related front-of-shirt sponsors. The soccer league’s teams voted on Thursday to introduce the ban in time for the 2026/2027 season.
the first UK sports league to voluntarily curtail gambling advertising
It’s a historic move that has long been anticipated, with the Premier League now the first UK sports league to voluntarily curtail gambling advertising. Teams consulted with the Premier League organization and the Department for Culture, Media, and Sports before coming to the decision.
The transition period will allow teams to honor existing sponsorship deals. Of the 20 clubs in the league, eight have gambling front-of-shirt sponsors in place this season. Teams will still be able to showcase gambling sponsors on shirt sleeves when the ban kicks in.
The league is also in the process of collaborating with other sports to develop a new responsible gambling sponsorship code.
The UK government is still in the process of completing its white paper on gambling reform. As part of that process, rumors suggested MPS had been considering banning sports teams from having gambling-related sponsors altogether.