Premier League clubs have agreed to ban gambling sponsors on the front of their shirts from the start of the 2026-27 season. The league said the clubs had taken the measure “voluntarily in order to reduce gambling advertising”.

Eight Premier League clubs – Bournemouth, Brentford, Everton, Fulham, Leeds, Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham – have gambling companies as shirt-front sponsors, with the value of those deals estimated at £60m a year. It will still be possible to advertise gambling brands in other areas, including on shirt sleeves and pitchside hoardings.

A ban on gambling sponsors on shirts has been criticised by campaigners as “incoherent” because it ignores more visible forms of advertising such as pitchside hoardings – and that view was repeated on Thursday.

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The league’s statement said: “The announcement follows an extensive consultation involving the League, its clubs and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as part of the government’s ongoing review of current gambling legislation.

“The Premier League is also working with other sports on the development of a new code for responsible gambling sponsorship. To assist clubs with their transition away from shirt-front gambling sponsorship, the collective agreement will begin at the end of the 2025-26 season.”

James Grimes, a recovering gambling addict who set up the Big Step, a campaign group that aims to convince football clubs to cut ties with gambling sponsors, said: “Today’s announcement is a significant acceptance of the harm caused by gambling sponsorship. No gambling ads are seen more than those on Premier League shirts, worn by billions around the world.

“But just moving logos to a different part of the kit while allowing pitchside advertising and league sponsorship to continue is totally incoherent. Without government action on all forms of gambling ads in football, at every level, online casinos will exploit any voluntary measures and continue to market their products through our national sport.

“Although this outcome isn’t perfect, it’s a huge step. Just over three years ago, there were nearly 30 clubs in the top two divisions with a gambling advert on the front of their shirt – with today’s announcement, we are getting closer to when that will be zero.”