Premier League clubs have been accused of greed for signing “desperate deals for a few extra quid”, after Bournemouth took to 11 the contingent with a gambling company as their front-of-shirt sponsor for at least the coming season. A ban kicks in for the 2026-27 campaign.
Bournemouth’s move, announced on Tuesday, means more than half of England’s top-flight teams will have a betting company on the front of their shirt, up from eight last season. Chelsea are the only Premier League club yet to announce a front-of-shirt sponsor. They began last season without one after supporters lobbied against a deal with an online casino.
Top-flight clubs agreed to restrict betting sponsorships last April but with that ban two years away clubs continue to strike deals with gambling firms, including cryptocurrency casinos and Asian betting companies. Premier League clubs voluntarily restricting sponsorships from 2026-27 provoked a mixed response, with campaigns such as The Big Step, dedicated to removing the ubiquitous gambling advertising in football, wary about loopholes and brands still being permitted on shirt sleeves and advertising hoardings.
Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Leicester, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, West Ham and Wolves will display a gambling company on the front of their shirts. “Premier League clubs must know that gambling harms are a serious public health issue that destroys many lives in their communities and around the world, yet continue to blindly sign these desperate deals for a few extra quid,” said a spokesperson from The Big Step.
