From the 2026/27 season, a gambling brand cannot appear on the front of a Premier League shirt in four cases; a club must get its gambling partner to sign up with the league before it enters or performs the deal, and payments or inducements tied to betting on a match are banned.
When a sponsor brand cannot go on the front of the shirt
These are the cases where a sponsor brand cannot appear on the front of the shirt.
| The case | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Gambling is offered under the brand | Facilities for gambling are provided under that sponsor brand |
| Gambling advertising is a significant part of it | Advertising gambling is a significant part of the activity carried on under the brand |
| It shares branding with a gambling brand | The owner or operator is, or is connected to, the owner or operator of a gambling brand, and branding is shared between them |
| It is there under a gambling agreement | The sponsor brand is displayed under a gambling related agreement |
How the rule defines gambling-related deals
For this rule, gambling and advertising carry the meanings used in the Gambling Act 2005. The test is not limited to the name on the shirt. It also reaches the activity carried on under the brand, links between operators, and the agreement behind the branding.
A gambling related agreement is defined broadly. It includes any agreement concerning the advertising, marketing, promotion, supply or provision of betting, gaming, lottery or other gambling related products, services, brands or facilities. That can be part of a shirt sponsor contract, the appointment of a gambling partner, or another commercial arrangement.
The definition also extends to the business activities of any party to the agreement, and to an associated or group undertaking of a party. If those activities include providing betting, gaming, lottery or other gambling related products, services or facilities, the agreement falls within the definition.
If a club is unsure whether a sponsor brand falls within the shirt-front restriction, it should consult the league before entering into the agreement.
What must happen before a club signs or performs the deal
Before entering into a gambling related agreement, or performing any part of one, a club must get the other party to sign an agreement with the league. If that other party is an agent acting for a gambling partner, the gambling partner itself must sign.
Under that agreement, the other party makes two key promises. It must give the league accurate and complete information at once if the league is using its powers to investigate a suspected or alleged breach of the rules. It must also not permit any form of gambling on the youth matches identified by the youth development rules.
The ban on payments and inducements linked to betting
This part of the rule deals with money and incentives connected with betting on football events, rather than sponsorship display. It applies to a club, an official and a player, and it covers betting on an event in a league match as well as betting on the result of that match.
No club, official or player may offer or receive a payment or any form of inducement to or from any club or any club's official or player in connection with that betting. They also may not receive, or seek to receive, any payment or other inducement from any person in connection with it.
The same ban also covers betting on a match in a competition that forms part of the youth games programmes or the professional development leagues.
FAQ
Can Premier League clubs have gambling sponsors?
They can have gambling-related commercial arrangements, but from the 2026/27 season a sponsor brand caught by the rule cannot appear on the front of the shirt. A partnership and a shirt-front display are separate questions under the rules.
Why are betting companies off the front of Premier League shirts?
The change comes from a shirt-front ban that covers four kinds of gambling-related branding. A brand can be caught because of what it offers, how much of its activity involves gambling advertising, a connection to another gambling brand where branding is shared between them, or the agreement behind the display.
What is a gambling related agreement in football?
It is wider than a direct shirt sponsorship contract. It includes agreements about advertising, marketing, promotion, supply or provision of betting, gaming, lottery or other gambling related products, services, brands or facilities, and it also reaches certain agreements through the business activities of a party or its associated or group undertaking.
Can a Premier League club take money connected to betting on a match?
No. The rule bans offering, receiving and seeking to receive payments or inducements connected with betting on an event in a league match or on its result, and it extends beyond dealings with other clubs to dealings with any person.