EGR Global quotes Richard Davies on the landmark decision to withdraw front-of-shirt sponsorship by 2026
Premier League clubs have collectively agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of their matchday shirts by the end of the 2025-26 season.
The announcement follows a consultation between the league, its clubs and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) as part of the government's ongoing review of current gambling legislation.
The decision will see the Premier League become the first sports league in the UK to take such a measure voluntarily in order to reduce gambling advertising.
Richard Davies, Senior Associate, comments for EGR Global:
"The announcement from clubs to ban gambling sponsorship from the front of matchday shirts is unsurprising ahead of the Government's upcoming white paper, which is predicted to recommend an equivalent ban.
"Despite sponsorship contracts usually including protections for clubs to get out of deals in the event of regulatory changes, the three-year transition period is an important measure for clubs from a commercial perspective. When similar rules were imposed in Italy in 2019, the six-month notice period caused a number of clubs issues with existing contractual commitments.
"The financial ramifications of this ban would undoubtedly weigh heavier on smaller clubs, if imposed in the lower leagues, where club finances are more precarious and alternative sponsors harder to come by.”
Read the full article in EGR Global here.
EGR Global is a trade publication that covers the online gaming industry.
