Premier League front-of-shirt betting ban cut visibility only slightly

According to new research from the University of Bristol, the Premier League's decision to ban betting sponsorship on the front of shirts reduced the visibility of betting logos by only 10.5 percent compared with the 2025/26 season. The ban had been adopted voluntarily in 2023 with the approval of 19 of the 20 clubs.

The university's Gambling Harms Research Centre identified 15,571 gambling messages over the opening weekend of the 2026/27 season. During the broadcasts, at least one message was on screen for a total of five hours and 16 minutes.

Advertising activity has shifted to other areas. Sleeve sponsorships increased by 362 percent compared with previous years. Pitch-side advertising accounted for 72 percent of the messages recorded during live matches. Training kit deals and social media partnerships are also among the other channels.

Dr. Raffaello Rossi, one of the study's co-directors, said the result cannot be presented as a success of self-regulation. According to Rossi, Premier League broadcasts contain more gambling messages per match than those of all the countries compared, including Germany, Canada and the US. The method is also open to criticism, because the same logo can be counted multiple times during a broadcast.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith and the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA) want the government to step in. Duncan Smith said the front-of-shirt restriction does not even scratch the surface of the problem.