Rules & Regulations Around Football Sponsorship In The UK & Ireland
Football and sponsorships are one of the most important partnerships in the sport. Whether it is sponsorships on the shirt front, advertising on the boards in the stadium or branding, there are multiple rules put in place by the FA (Football Association) that football clubs and their sponsor must adhere to.
In both the UK and Ireland, the regulations around football betting sponsorship are changing which will affect the current partnership between the sponsors and their football clubs.
These partnerships currently include teams such as:
– Liverpool FC and Ladbrokes (from 2024)
– Brentford and Hollywoodbets (from 2021)
– Aston Villa FC and Betano (from 2024)
– Newcastle United and Sportsbet.io (from 2023)
According to Irish bookmaker site Topbetting.ie, many more football clubs in the UK and Ireland have a sponsorship deal with various betting companies and some betting sites like bet365 even provide better odds and promotions for their chosen club which encourages those fans to use their service. For example, new for the 2024/25 season, Parimatch sponsors both Nottingham Forest and Leicester City and they offer prizes of match tickets, exclusive merchandise and training ground visits to meet players through social media competitions.
Will the 2024 Gambling Regulatory Authority Ireland Affect Sponsorship?
In 2024, the Irish Gambling Regulation Act established the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) to oversee and control all gambling services in Ireland. This new authority will affect betting sponsorship deals in Ireland as they are enforcing various rules on certain betting advertising aiming to target and reduce problem betting in Ireland.
One of the most impactful regulations on betting companies that the GRAI is putting into place is the restriction of betting adverts being shown in the media from 9pm to 5:30am. This will include TV and radio and it aims to significantly reduce the exposure of children and young people to betting adverts which will therefore prevent the influence of gambling on them.
This will affect the sponsorship deals between football clubs and various betting companies as they won’t be able to advertise their services in Ireland at certain times, including during live matches which will in turn cause problems for streaming. The GRAI claims that the safer advertising and marketing of betting companies will better protect young people and vulnerable adults.
Ban on betting front shirt advertising
Another major rule change in football sponsorship was made by the FA which banned betting sponsors advertising on football shirt fronts for clubs in the Premier League. This rule will come into effect for the 2026/27 season, which gives football clubs time to end their contracts if need be. However, as the Premier League has agreed to this decision voluntarily, this doesn’t affect the lower league clubs meaning that clubs not in the Premier League can still advertise bookmakers on the front of their shirts.
The current rule for sponsors on football kits places various limitations on the type of advertising that can be worn on the kits. As stated by the FA’s Kit and Advertising regulations, any sponsors which are considered “distasteful, threatening, abusive, indecent, insulting, discriminatory or otherwise ethically or morally offensive message, or any political or religious message, are prohibited” from football kits and shirts.
The use of betting company sponsors on football shirts is a controversial topic because it exposes children and young people to their names and logos and provides familiarity and popularity of supporters of these clubs. However, this ban is only for advertising on the front of the shirt but sponsors are still able to advertise on the sleeve of the shirts.
This means clubs can still reach sponsorship deals with betting companies for advertisements on the sleeves, but they will most likely receive a lot less money as it is a smaller advert.
However, this doesn’t stop betting companies from the ability to advertise at football matches through advertising boards on the pitch which can be seen by the thousands in the stadium and the millions of people watching on TV. For now, this type of advertising is safe but it may receive a stricter rule change of its own in the future similar to current European rules to further reduce the prominence of betting advertising at football matches.
In conclusion, betting sponsorship deals in football are gradually becoming stricter in an aim of reducing problem gambling and prevent exposure to young people. These rules will affect sponsorship deals between bookmakers and football clubs and means that clubs may have to start looking elsewhere for their sponsors. As of March 2025, the new GRAI will cause major changes to football betting sponsorship and their suitability in both the UK and Ireland.
