Premier League shirt ban leaves gambling exposure largely intact
Premier League gambling exposure remains extensive despite the front-of-shirt sponsorship restriction, according to University of Bristol research that has prompted calls for tighter regulation.
The Premier League’s front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship restriction has delivered limited change in overall advertising exposure, according to research recording 15,571 gambling messages across opening-weekend coverage and social media.The University of Bristol rapid review found branding on sleeves and training kits increased by 362%, while pitchside advertising accounted for 72% of messages during live matches.Project lead Dr Raffaello Rossi said: “The findings raise serious questions about the effectiveness of the Premier League’s front of shirt restriction and football’s voluntary Sponsorship Code of Conduct.“The gambling and football industries have repeatedly promised to get a grip on the massive volume of gambling marketing surrounding the Premier League.”Researchers examined seven live matches, 15 hours each of Sky Sports News and TalkSport, and social media activity by ten gambling brands.Live coverage contained 11,205 messages, with gambling marketing visible for almost one fifth of broadcast time. The overall total was below the 2024 findings but approximately 42% above 2023.The researchers estimated that removing front-of-shirt branding contributed a 10.5% reduction during live matches, with much of the wider decline attributable to fewer sponsorship lead-ins.Rossi continued: “The front of shirt ban was effective in removing gambling logos from shirt fronts, but it did not remove them from football.“Branding remained highly visible on pitchside hoardings and around stadiums, while some appears simply to have shifted to shirt sleeves and training kits.”The findings challenge whether restricting one commercial asset can substantially reduce exposure while other sponsorship inventory remains available.A Premier League spokesperson said: “The Premier League and our clubs take their responsibilities around gambling sponsorship seriously and fully recognise the importance of protecting children and people at risk of gambling-related harm.“From this season gambling sponsorships no longer appear on the front of matchday shirts, making the Premier League the first UK sports league to take this step voluntarily.”The league said its broader approach includes football’s Gambling Code of Conduct, annual compliance monitoring and protections for children.Researchers also identified 1,023 paid Facebook and Instagram advertisements with combined estimated UK reach of 153.2 million, including 16.6 million instances involving accounts aged 18–24. These aggregated figures do not represent unique individuals.The findings are being presented to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gambling Reform.Co-chair Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: “The front-of-shirt restriction has barely scratched the surface of the issue. We cannot continue to rely on the gambling and football industries to regulate themselves.“That is why the APPG on Gambling Reform is calling on the Government for more stringent regulation of gambling advertising and to close the loopholes in the current system.”The Department for Culture, Media and Sport welcomed the voluntary restriction as complementing existing advertising and sponsorship codes.