Premier League Casino Sponsors Soar 56% As Gambling Ban Looms
Online casino brands are set to dominate shirt-front sponsorships for teams competing in the 2024/25 English Premier League, with a 56% increase in gambling-related sponsors on last year's league.
Sported by eleven of the division's twenty clubs (up from seven in the 2023/24 season), gambling will be the most prominent industry promoted by teams competing in the world's most-watched sporting league.
The surge comes despite a ban on front-of-shirt gambling & casino sponsors that is set to take effect in the summer of 2026.
The decision to phase out gambling sponsorships, which clubs collectively approved in April 2023, is sure to mark a seismic shift in the Premier League's commercial landscape.
However, despite this impending change, clubs appear determined to seize their final opportunities to secure lucrative deals, with online casino brands also eager to capitalize on this penultimate chance to gain visibility in the league's global spotlight.
Which Online Casinos are Sponsoring 2024/25 Premier League Clubs?
As of July 24th, all clubs have finalized their front-of-shirt sponsorships ahead of August's season kickoff, though AFC Bournemouth has confirmed its sponsors but has yet to reveal at least one of its new kits.
The complete list of Premier League front-of-shirt sponsorships, featuring online casino brands, is as follows:
As per the table above, eleven of this year's twenty teams will feature gambling brands on the front of their shirts, with each sponsor also offering an online casino as part of a broad range of gambling services.
Crypto Casinos On the Rise
The rise of cryptocurrency casinos in the Premier League's sponsorship landscape marks a significant milestone for the online casino industry.
With Everton's Stake.com, Leicester City's BC.GAME, and Southampton's Rollbit all featured prominently on team shirts, it is clear to see the growing importance digital currencies are gaining in mainstream gambling.
However, the rise of crypto casinos is not without controversy. Many of these platforms are viewed as less reliable than traditional online casinos, primarily due to regulatory ambiguities and varying standards of consumer protection.
It's worth noting within this context that many of the league's bigger clubs, such as Manchester City, Liverpool, and Arsenal, have so far resisted choosing gambling sponsors for their shirt fronts.
As cryptocurrency continues to gain traction, especially with its growing presence in Premier League sponsorships, the balance between innovation and regulation is set to become an increasingly critical conversation��particularly in light of the impending gambling ban that will take effect in the summer of 2026.
Upcoming Changes to Premier League Gambling Sponsorship in 2026
In April 2023, Premier League clubs collectively agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of matchday shirts, becoming the first UK sports league to take such a voluntary measure to reduce gambling advertising.
During the 2022/23 season, eight Premier League clubs had gambling companies as shirt-front sponsors, valued at an estimated ��60m per annum. This figure is expected to have grown since then, with the increase to 11 clubs as well as the growing value of the league.
While the ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships will take effect in the summer of 2026, there is currently no ban on increasingly popular sleeve sponsors, meaning that gambling brands could still feature on team jerseys, albeit in a less prominent capacity.
This upcoming regulation poses a significant challenge for the online casino industry, but for now, casinos will maintain a strong presence, with their branding featured as prominently as ever during the 2024/25 season.
