The Premier League has informed the government that it will phase out front-of-shirt branding for gambling companies, but will allow them to continue branding shirt sleeves.
In proposals presented to ministers, the Premier League has proposed phasing out front-of-shirt sponsorship by gambling companies over the next few years while allowing them to maintain an indefinite presence on teams’ shirt sleeves.
The English Premier League brought up the idea during recent negotiations with Whitehall.
The premise of the proposal, according to a Whitehall source, was that shirt sleeves were less visible and, consequently, less valuable than the space on the front of teams’ shirts.
The Premier League is rumored to have argued that such an arrangement would allow clubs to avoid a precipitous drop in revenue from the gaming industry.
According to a second source, the length of time required to eliminate front-of-shirt sponsorship has not been determined, but it will likely take between three and five years to account for the expiration of existing commercial contracts.
Chris Philp, minister for gambling at the Department of Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport, is rumored to be considering the proposal.
The Times reported earlier this week that ministers had abandoned plans to prohibit betting group logos from appearing on football shirts through legislation in favor of a voluntary agreement with clubs.
The legislation remained an option, according to one official, unless a satisfactory agreement could be reached shortly.
Last season, nearly half of Premier League clubs, including Newcastle United and West Ham, were sponsored by betting companies, although the Magpies are likely to replace Fun88 after the upcoming season.
SpreadEx Sport sponsored the shirts of West Ham, Hollywood Bet sponsored those of Brentford, and Sportsbet.io sponsored those of Southampton.
If accepted, the Premier League’s compromise deal would enrage anti-gambling activists, as it would permit the industry to maintain a presence on the shirts of teams competing in the most-watched domestic football tournament.
If ministers reach a voluntary agreement to limit shirt sponsorship, it would be part of a package of gambling reforms expected to be unveiled within the next few weeks.
A DCMS spokesperson said: “We are conducting the most thorough review of gambling laws in the past 15 years to ensure that they are suitable for the digital age. In the coming weeks, we will publish a White Paper as part of a review of gambling legislation.”
Regarding its discussions with the government, the Premier League declined to comment.
