The Premier League Gambling Sponsor Ban: Every Shirt That Changed

For about two decades, a betting logo across the chest was one of the most familiar sights in English football. Press reports have described the change as the end of a 20-year era, and it is easy to see why: generations of fans have grown up with the sponsor on the front being as much a part of the shirt as the badge.

That has now changed. This guide explains what the ban covers, lists the eight clubs that had to find a new front-of-shirt sponsor, looks at who replaced the betting brands, and sets out what is still allowed. It also looks at what it means if you collect shirts, because a sponsor is one of the first things anyone notices about an old kit.

A note before we start: sponsorship deals move quickly, and sources do not always agree on every detail. Where we are unsure, we say so, and it is worth checking a club's official site for the latest on any individual shirt.

What the Ban Actually Covers

It is a voluntary agreement between the clubs rather than a law. Premier League clubs agreed in April 2023 to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of matchday shirts, with a transition period that let existing deals run their course. The change took effect at the end of the 2025/26 season, which means 2026/27 is the first Premier League season without betting brands on the front of the shirt.

The agreement is specific. It is about the front of the matchday shirt. Reports at the time made clear that betting brands could still appear on sleeves and on advertising hoardings, so this is not the end of gambling branding in football altogether, a point we come back to below.

Not every club was affected. Reporting on the 2025/26 season noted that none of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur had a gambling front-of-shirt sponsor, so the change fell on a group of other clubs. Reports put the number of Premier League clubs carrying some form of betting branding on their shirts in 2025/26 at 11 out of 20.

The Eight Clubs That Changed

Eight clubs had a betting company as their front-of-shirt sponsor going into the change. This is who they were, and who is on the front now, according to 2026/27 sponsor reports.

Two of those moves have a neat link to the past. Bournemouth's new sponsor, Vitality, was already connected to the club through its stadium. And Crystal Palace's previous sponsor, Net88, only began its front-of-shirt deal in 2024/25, so its time on the shirt was short.

Sunderland's position is the one to watch. At the time of writing, reports had not named a new front-of-shirt sponsor for them, so check the club's site if you need the current answer.

Who Replaced the Betting Brands

The pattern is clear. Finance, technology and tourism brands stepped in: CMC Markets at Everton, Marex at Nottingham Forest, ClickHouse at Fulham, Temporal at Crystal Palace, Indeed at Brentford, Vitality at Bournemouth and Visit Rwanda at Aston Villa.

The money question was the big one before the ban. Betting companies were a major source of shirt sponsorship income, and there was real concern that clubs would lose out. The early reporting suggests otherwise. According to The Long Play and Insider Sport, total front-of-shirt sponsorship value across the league is reported at £444 million for 2026/27, up 8%, and the eight affected clubs are reported to have replaced about £67 million of betting deals with about £75 million of new ones. These are press figures rather than official club accounts, so treat them as a guide.

A shirt is a snapshot of its moment. The sponsor on the front tells you who was paying for football that season, which is exactly why collectors care about it.

- Jamie King, co-founder, Mystery Jersey King

What Can Still Appear

The ban covers the front of the matchday shirt, and that is all. Betting brands can still appear on sleeves, on training kit and around the stadium. Two examples have been reported: Aston Villa have reportedly kept Betano on their sleeves, and Manchester United have reportedly signed Betway as a betting partner on training kit.

So if you pick up a 2026/27 shirt and spot a betting logo, check the sleeve before assuming anything is wrong. The front is where the rule applies.

The ban has its critics, and it is fair to say so. Will Prochaska of the Coalition to End Gambling Ads has argued that gambling logos "will still be visible elsewhere on shirts and all around the stadiums", describing the move as a way to resist tighter regulation. Supporters of the change see it as a meaningful step. Either way, it is a change to what appears on the most visible part of the shirt, and that is what makes it interesting to anyone who follows kit design.

What It Means for Collectors

Sponsors are one of the first things people notice when they look at an old shirt. A particular logo can place a shirt in a particular year almost instantly. The 2025/26 shirts were the last Premier League shirts to carry betting brands on the front, which gives them a clear end date, and that is the sort of thing collectors tend to pay attention to.

We make no promises about what any shirt will be worth, and you should buy a shirt because you like it rather than as an investment. But a clean, well-kept shirt with a recognisable sponsor from a clearly bounded era is the sort of piece collectors enjoy having.

If You Are Buying a Shirt From the Betting Era

If you would like one of these shirts, a few practical points apply.

• Check the season. The sponsor on the front is a quick way to tell a 2025/26 shirt from a 2026/27 one, but confirm the details with the seller rather than relying on the sponsor alone.
• Look at the sponsor print. Printed sponsor logos can crack or peel over time, so look closely at the condition in photos.
• Check it is genuine. Popular current shirts are copied, so use our guide to how to spot a fake Premier League shirt and the explanation of how manufacturers mark a genuine shirt.
• Look after it. Our guide to cultivating a football shirt collection covers storage and care.

Shirts from every era turn up in our boxes. For a curated route through the past, browse the retro football shirts collection or read our list of the best retro football shirts of all time. If you would rather leave it to chance, our mystery football shirt box delivers one genuine shirt, with the club chosen for you. See all our mystery football shirts to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions