Premier League Retains 21 Bookmaker Deals Despite Shirt Sponsor Ban

United Kingdom.- 19 August 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com The introduction of the Premier League’s voluntary ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship has not removed bookmakers from the competition’s commercial landscape.

Ahead of the 2026/27 season, clubs continue to partner with gambling operators through alternative sponsorship categories including shirt sleeves, training kits, regional partnerships, LED advertising and official betting partner agreements.

End of Front-of-Shirt Betting Sponsors

Premier League clubs agreed in April 2023 to voluntarily remove gambling brands from the front of shirts from the start of the 2026/27 season.

The measure was designed to reduce the visibility of betting companies across the competition.

However, it does not cover other commercial sponsorship assets, allowing operators and clubs to continue working together in different formats.

Alternative Sponsorship Models

Operators are now using several categories, including:

  • Shirt sleeve sponsorship.
  • Training kit sponsorship.
  • Official betting partnerships.
  • Market-specific and regional agreements.
  • LED advertising inside stadiums.
  • Online casino partnerships.
  • Community partnerships.

These formats allow gambling companies to retain visibility without occupying the main shirt position.

Premier League Deals for 2026/27

The partnerships identified include:

  • AFC Bournemouth – MrQ: shirt sleeve and official UK online casino partner.
  • AFC Bournemouth – CopyBet: official betting partner.
  • Arsenal – Betway: global betting partner.
  • Aston Villa – Betano: shirt sleeve and official partner.
  • Brentford – Hollywoodbets: official betting partner.
  • Brighton & Hove Albion – Betway: official global betting partner.
  • Chelsea – Betway: official European betting partner.
  • Everton – Stake: shirt sleeve sponsor.
  • Ipswich Town – 8Xbet: official betting partner in Asia.
  • Leeds United – BOYLESports: official betting partner in the UK and Ireland.
  • Liverpool – Ladbrokes: official betting partner in the UK and Ireland.
  • Liverpool – Interwetten: official betting partner in Germany and Austria.
  • Manchester City – Betway: official global betting partner.
  • Manchester United – Betway: official training kit and global betting partner.
  • Manchester United – Hong Kong Jockey Club: official community football partner in Hong Kong.
  • Manchester United – Parimatch: official betting partner across parts of Asia and MENA.
  • Newcastle United – BetMGM: official betting partner.
  • Newcastle United – 8Xbet: official betting partner in Asia.
  • Sunderland – LiveScoreBet: principal partner, shirt sleeve and training kit partner.
  • Sunderland – Betway: official betting partner.
  • Tottenham Hotspur – Betano / Kaizen Gaming: official training kit partner and official betting partner for Europe and Latin America.

Betway Expands Its Footprint

Betway is among the brands with the largest presence under the new Premier League sponsorship structure.

The operator maintains agreements with Arsenal, Brighton, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Sunderland across different partnership categories and territories.

The approach demonstrates how operators can spread exposure across several clubs without relying on front-of-shirt branding.

Regional Partnerships

Geographic segmentation is another important feature of the current market.

Liverpool has separate agreements covering the UK and Ireland and Germany and Austria, while Manchester United has partnerships targeting Asia, MENA and Hong Kong.

Newcastle also has a dedicated Asian partnership with 8Xbet.

This allows clubs to commercialise their international fanbases on a market-by-market basis.

Potential Audience of 4.7 Billion

The commercial appeal of these agreements is supported by the Premier League’s global reach.

The competition has a potential television audience estimated at around 4.7 billion people.

That scale means secondary sponsorship assets such as sleeves, training kits and LED boards can still provide substantial value to international gambling operators.

Clubs Without Gambling Partners

Not every Premier League club has followed the same strategy.

Fulham and Crystal Palace currently list no gambling businesses among their commercial partners.

Coventry City has also adopted a distinctive position, with owner Doug King previously ending bookmaker relationships because he did not want betting promoted through the club.

Industry Context

The early outcome of the ban demonstrates that restricting one specific form of sponsorship does not necessarily remove commercial relationships between football and gambling.

Operators are redirecting investment towards alternative assets and regional agreements that preserve visibility during matches, broadcasts and international marketing campaigns.

Next Steps or Impact

The 2026/27 season will provide the first real test of the Premier League’s new sponsorship model.

Front-of-shirt bookmaker branding will disappear, but a broad network of gambling partnerships remains active across other categories.

The key question will be whether the policy meaningfully reduces public exposure to betting brands or simply redistributes that visibility across other commercial assets within the competition.

Editó: @fonta

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