Premier League clubs set to ban front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships after government pressure

Premier League clubs are expected to agree a ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships on Thursday afternoon.

The decision is due to be made at the shareholders’ meeting in response to pressure from the government.

The proposal will leave a variety of other betting sponsorships open, including on shirt sleeves and in stadiums.

The government will release a white paper on gambling in football next month but have signalled that shirt restrictions will not be included if a voluntary agreement can be reached.

A final vote could be deferred until the summer meeting in June, while a three-year transition period will likely be included as eight of the league’s 20 clubs have betting sponsors on the front of shirts.

Betting partners are known to be lucrative for football clubs, particularly those lower down the league, but none of the ‘big six’ have one on the front of their shirts.

Fulham and Newcastle have a betting sponsor on their shirts but their deals are set to end in the summer.

The ban will not, however, extend to English Football League clubs, who find themselves more reliant on such deals.