Premier League clubs have collectively agreed to remove gambling sponsorships from the front of their matchday shirts at the end of the 2025-26 season.
However, after the deadline, clubs can continue to display gambling branding in areas such as shirt sleeves and LED advertising.
Clubs will be allowed to secure new shirt deals before the deadline.
Eight top-flight clubs feature gambling companies on the front of their shirts, worth an estimated £60m a year.
The announcement follows consultations 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 would make the Premier League the first sporting league in the UK to voluntarily take such steps to reduce gambling advertising.
The league is also working with other sports to develop new guidelines for responsible gaming sponsorship.
The government is not expected to propose a ban on gambling sponsorship and the plan is for the Premier League to voluntarily agree to the change.
Reforms to the 2005 Gambling Act are basically agree Introduced by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson before leaving office last July, leading to Delayed Gambling White Paper is being published.
On Thursday, Lucy Frazer, who was appointed culture, media and sport secretary in February, said she “welcome the Premier League’s decision”.
“The vast majority of adults gamble safely, but we must recognize that footballers are role models who have a huge influence on young people,” she added.
“We want to work with bodies like the Premier League to do the right thing for young fans. We will soon be presenting a gambling white paper to update protections for punters and ensure those at risk of gambling harm and addiction are protected.”
What is the background?
A DCMS spokesman told BBC Sport last May that they were undertaking “the most comprehensive review of gambling laws in 15 years to ensure they are fit for the digital age”.
Campaigners backing a wider ban say football betting sponsorship has normalized the industry and that stricter regulation is needed to protect children and other vulnerable groups.
The Gaming and Gambling Commission, which represents the industry, said the “vast majority” of the 22.5 million people who gamble each month in the UK did so “safely and responsibly”.
It added that “rates of problem gambling remain low by international standards, at 0.3% of the UK adult population – down from 0.4% the previous year”.
However, a YouGov survey on GambleAware 2021 sets that figure at 2.8%.
Former Conservative leader Ian Duncan Smith is part of the all-party parliamentary gambling-related harms group, which has been lobbying the government for tougher protections.
“Right now, we probably have the most lenient gambling laws in the world,” he said.
Aston Villa’s fan advisory group spoke to chief executive Christian Purslow in January following reports the club had signed a deal with Asian bookmaker BK8. It later issued a statement saying: “The commercial reality is that, for teams outside the top six, such sponsors provide twice as much money to clubs as non-gambling companies”.
The Premier League has previously said “a self-regulatory approach would provide a practical and flexible alternative to legislation or outright bans”.
A collective agreement has been reached to introduce a ban after 2025-26 to help clubs transition away from shirt gambling sponsorship.
The English Football League (EFL), which is sponsored by Sky Bet, has previously said any ban on gambling sponsorship for its 72 members would cost the club £40m a year.
The EFL’s long-standing stance on the gaming industry is that it should contribute to the financial sustainability of professional football given the huge sums of money it earns from games.
Chairman Rick Parry has previously said The EFL believes an evidence-based approach to harm prevention has greater benefits than a blanket ban.
“Although this result is not perfect, it is a huge improvement”
Premier League clubs last summer Everton confirmed They have a club-record multi-year partnership with casino and sports betting platform Stake.com.
After the league announced the deal on Thursday, current Everton boss Sean Dyche said: “I won’t get into the debate or judge too much, but they’ve made a collective decision and all parties agree on that.”
Just over three years ago, nearly 30 clubs in the Premier League and Championship sported a gambling company on the front of their shirts, according to The Big Step, a campaign aimed at ending football gambling advertising and sponsorships.
“With today’s announcement, we’re getting closer to zero,” The Big Step said in a statement. “This is a significant acceptance of the harm done by gambling sponsorship.
“But just moving the logo to a different part of the shirt while allowing pitchside advertising and league sponsorships to continue is completely incoherent.
“If the government does not act on all forms of gambling advertising in football, then online casinos will take any voluntary steps at every level and continue to market their products through our national sport.
“While this result is not perfect, it is a huge step forward. The government and the sport itself now need to wake up to the fact that gambling advertising is unhealthy, unpopular and will be kicked out of football. Delaying that moment will Endangering the health and the lives of another generation of young fans.”
Gambling with Life, a community of families who have lost loved ones to gambling-related suicide, the announcement said “It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s a welcome move and a significant acceptance of the harm done by gambling advertising and sponsorship”.
‘Complete ban looks unlikely’
Analysis – Katie Razzall, Culture and Media Editor, BBC News
For some activists, news of the voluntary ban wasn’t enough. They point to the impact of the Premier League on children and young people, and argue that football gambling sponsorship is a key part of the process of normalizing the industry (if they see it).
Even after 2026, the gambling company’s name will still appear on banners around the venue and on the sleeves of shirts for adults.
Many want a blanket ban on such football sponsorship and advertising. This always seemed unlikely.
All eyes are on new Culture Secretary Lucy Fraser, who is picking up where her three predecessors left off, reshaping gambling laws to suit the world of online gambling.
MPs from industry and the reform movement have been lobbying vigorously – culminating in recent weeks – as final decisions are made about what that actually means in practice.
