The State of Football Betting Sponsorships In The UK & Ireland
Football betting sponsorships. They might seem like a relatively straightforward concept and similar to any other type of sponsorship; however, sponsorships for football actually have several different rules, and as such, it’s well worth understanding these to help inform your understanding of how football sponsorships work.
In line with this thought, today, we’re looking at the current state of football betting sponsorships in both the UK and Ireland, as well as current and upcoming rule changes and what this will mean for sponsorships going forwards.
Current Major Football Sponsorships for the UK and Ireland
Before we go any further at looking at the state of football betting sponsorships in the UK and Ireland, it’s first important that we consider some of the current major betting football sponsorships. For example, a quick look at the biggest bookmakers in Ireland according Betfree.ie shows that the majority have ties to big clubs. Indeed, it’s not uncommon for brands to sponsor individual teams, a practice which largely kicked off in the 80s.
Perhaps some of the most well-known sponsorships of the main UK clubs include the following:
Ladbrokes supporting Liverpool FC (new since 2024)
Betway supporting West Ham United (since 2015)
Sportsbet.io supporting Newcastle United (since 2023)
Bet365 supporting Stoke City (since 2012)
LeoVegas supporting Blackpool FC (since 2023)
DEBET and BetMGM supporting the Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (new for 2025)
Betano supporting Aston Villa (new since 2024)
These are just a few examples of several major sponsorships between betting providers and some of the biggest names in the football world. However, keep in mind here that many other teams also have betting sponsors behind them; in fact, 16 out of the 44 teams in the Premier League have betting companies as a major sponsor alone.
Upcoming Rule Changes for the UK and Irish Markets
Thus far, we’ve outlined some of the major sponsorships for the UK and Irish football markets. However, while sponsorships have been a staple of the sports world for many years at this point – and likely something that won’t change any time soon – it’s important to note that upcoming rule changes will somewhat alter the way we bet on sports.
At present, the main sponsorship rules are perhaps those set out by the FA for football kit advertising, which set several limitations on the types of adverts that can be displayed on football clubs’ kit. For example, tobacco advertising is banned from football gear, as is any content that might be deemed “distasteful, threatening, abusive, indecent, insulting, discriminatory, or otherwise ethically or morally offensive,” along with any sponsorships that might have a “political or religious message” according to the FA’s Kit and Advertising Regulations.
Importantly, following a challenge to proposed changes by Man City, an arbitration panel is being assembled once more to reassess the Premier League’s commercial sponsorship ATP regulations. Given the challenges faced by the new ATP rules, sponsorship regulations will currently continue to follow the profitability and sustainability rules already established in the game.
However, at present, there is no requirement for bookmakers to avoid advertising on football events, especially with those watching live matches. Moreover, many bookmakers advertise around the edge of the pitch itself, making such adverts almost unavoidable to see if you’re planning to watch your favourite match(es). However, there is a high likelihood that this will change in the coming years; indeed, many European countries have far more stringent regulations for betting adverts on sports events. Given this, the UK and Irish markets may be prone to change to adopt a stricter approach to betting adverts, going forwards.
The Gambling Regulation Act 2024
In addition to the aforementioned changes and likely adjustments to sponsorships in Ireland for football matches, the introduction of the Irish Gambling Regulation Act 2024 may change betting sponsorships significantly. Not least of all, by imposing conditions on offering inducements for bettors, the Act aims to prevent bookmakers from advertising in such a way that might encourage problem betting.
Furthermore, gambling adverts will be restricted to the hours between 9pm and 5.30 am, aiming to prevent children from viewing and being influenced by gambling sponsorships and ads. This applies to all forms of media and is managed by the new Gambling Authority, hopefully helping ensure that problem gambling will be addressed. However, bookmakers – notably, the Irish Bookmakers’ Association – have warned in response to the changes that there is the potential that these new regulations could prevent live sports from other countries (such as England) broadcasts during the banned window of time due to the potential for adverts to be shown during the event.
Premier League Gambling Sponsor Shirt-Front Ban
By now, we’ve looked at some of the main changes upcoming imminently – but there’s also another major development set to come in for the 2026 season for the Premier League. Per the new regulations, betting sponsors will no longer be able to advertise on the front of team members’ shirts – however, smaller shoulder logos and the like should still be fine.
This is potentially a useful change to help combat problem gambling, but for Irish fans of the Premier League, it also brings up a major worry: this would still breach the new Gambling Regulation rules. Plus, many people have also questioned the efficacy of taking betting sponsors’ names off shirt fronts given that the pitchside banners will still be on full display.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been looking to understand how football sponsorships work and how the upcoming rule changes are likely to impact your own betting experience, today’s guide will hopefully have given some tips and pointers. Indeed, football betting sponsorships are a major part of the game, serving as a significant source of funding for many teams, both small and large. However, new regulations will definitely change the way that many people enjoy football betting, especially for matches from other countries such as the English Premier League. As such, it’s easy to see why so many people are starting to feel a little anxious.
