The 2026-27 Premier League season has begun with no betting logo on the front of any club shirt, ending a voluntary ban adopted by the league in April 2023 and closing an era in which Asia-facing operators paid millions for a place on the most-watched jerseys in world football.
The Guardian estimates clubs will collectively lose up to £80 million ($108 million) in front-of-shirt revenue this season. Three teams — Chelsea, Sunderland and Nottingham Forest — started the campaign without a main sponsor at all. Offers for clubs outside the big six have fallen by half.
Last season ten of the twenty top-flight clubs wore gambling logos: Bournemouth carried BJ88, Crystal Palace wore NET88, Wolves displayed DEBET, Fulham showed SBOTOP. Most of these brands targeted Asian markets and their sites were blocked in the UK. A Premier League shirt was not a tool to acquire British customers but a trust engine in Asia, where sponsoring an English club is worth more than any direct advertising spend.
The model collapsed in May 2025 when the Gambling Commission fined intermediary TGP Europe £3.3 million ($4.5 million) for AML failures. The company surrendered its licence, leaving 29 white-label brands without UK regulation. The Commission warned five clubs they risked enforcement action if they continued promoting unlicensed operators.
Financial and tech firms have moved into the space. Everton signed CMC Markets, Fulham took ClickHouse, Bournemouth shifted stadium sponsor Vitality onto the shirt for £4–5 million ($5.3–6.7 million) a year — far below what BJ88 had paid. Chelsea, demanding £65 million ($87.5 million) per season, is running a blank front for the third year running.
The ban covers only the chest. Bookmaker logos remain on sleeves, training kits and LED boards. Everton and West Ham moved Stake and BoyleSports to the sleeve. On 23 February 2026 the government opened a consultation on banning unlicensed operators from sponsoring UK clubs anywhere, which would close the workaround through Asian partners. The EFL has introduced no restrictions and holds a title deal with Sky Bet through 2029.
