Premier League clubs will “ban gambling companies from advertising on the front of their shirts, but will still allow sleeve deals” as they seek to “bypass government legislation on shirt sponsorship restrictions.”
- Premier League clubs are set to ban gambling advertising on the front of the shirt
- The proposal will be discussed at a high-level shareholder meeting on Thursday.
- The Government is willing to intervene if the clubs do not reach a voluntary agreement
Premier League clubs are reportedly about to agree to ban gambling companies from advertising on the front of their shirts.
The proposal to ban betting firms on the front of top-flight clubs’ shirts will be discussed at a shareholder meeting on Thursday.
While top-flight clubs are expected to agree to a front-of-the-shirt ban, it’s likely that betting companies could still be up their sleeves.
According to The TimesPremier League clubs will likely agree to the proposal to avoid government legislation that would ban betting advertising altogether.
The government is due to publish a white paper on the game next month and has suggested it would not include shirt sponsorship bans if top-flight clubs can come to an agreement themselves.
Leeds is another Premier League club to have a betting sponsor on the front of their shirt.
It is also reported that any vote to ban front-of-shirt gambling advertising could be postponed until the Premier League’s summer meeting in June.
However, there is a consensus that most clubs would accept the measure if a transition period of three years were established.
The proposal would not be passed on to EFL clubs, as similar action would likely cause financial problems as you move down the English pyramid.
Eight of the 20 Premier League clubs currently have a betting firm as a sponsor on the front of their shirt.
Fulham and Newcastle’s current contracts with their respective bookmakers will expire at the end of the season. None of the ‘Big Six’ are sponsored by betting firms on the front of their jerseys.
The Times has also claimed that a top-tier club would see £5-10m of revenue cut per season if they agreed to drop their betting sponsor.
While gambling advertising on the front of the shirt will be banned, sleeve deals are likely to remain.
Brighton chairman Tony Bloom has been a strong supporter of banning gambling shirt sponsors despite amassing his wealth through sports betting.
He said last year: ‘From a personal point of view, it’s very important to be aware of children who see gambling or betting ads on the particular T-shirt, because they buy the T-shirts.
“I don’t think it’s good to have gaming sponsorship on the jerseys, but I do understand that for some clubs, particularly clubs in much lower income leagues, the gambling companies pay better, so it’s a tough call. reject them”.
“Although there is gambling advertising everywhere, I think the t-shirts are the most obvious, so I would be more concerned.”