Premier League Shirts Go Betting-Free This Season – But Italy’s Biggest Clubs are Still Cashing In | OneFootball

When the 2026/27 season kicks off, no Premier League club will be able to send their players onto the pitch with a betting company on the front of its shirt. It’s the first time in well over a decade that’s been the case, and it hasn’t happened by accident.

Clubs themselves voted for the change back in April 2023, giving themselves three seasons to find replacements. And it appears that not everyone used the time well. Eleven clubs continued using betting sponsors last season, and Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, and Sunderland all went into the final weeks of pre-season without a confirmed front-of-shirt partner.

NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 01: Nicolo Savona of Nottingham Forest celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with teammate Callum Hudson-Odoi during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Manchester United at City Ground on November 01, 2025 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

The league as a whole is thought to have surrendered between £80m and £100m a year in commercial income due to the ban; West Ham, on the other hand, were with Betway for years, although they won’t feel the change as they were relegated on the final day of last season, beginning this one in the Championship, where the ban does not currently apply.

Chelsea’s apparent difficulty has less to do with gambling and more to do with a wider commercial reset, but the decreased pool of available sponsors clearly hasn’t helped either.

England Follows Italy’s Ban… But Not in the Same Way

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 23: Enzo Maresca, Manager of Manchester City, applauds the fans prior to the Premier League 2026/27 match between Manchester City and AFC Bournemouth at Etihad Stadium on August 23, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Italy banned gambling advertising completely back in 2018 under the Decreto Dignità, a law considerably stricter than anything the Premier League has chosen to implement itself, but as is often the case in Italy, Serie A clubs are still taking money from betting companies – and a lot of it, it seems. Inter signed a four-year deal with Betsson in 2024 worth a reported €30m per season, instantly making it the most valuable shirt sponsorship in the Italian league. The agreement runs until 2028.

Inter essentially used a loophole by using a brand-name workaround. Now, the logo on the Inter shirt says “Betsson Sport”, a sports news and statistics company, not the popular Betsson sportsbook itself. Fiorentina have had Betway Scores on their sleeves since 2024, while Torino, Udinese and Cagliari have all signed with Bet365Scores, and Parma’s deal with AdmiralBet News extends to branding on two stands at the Stadio Tardini.

In each of these cases, the sponsor is “technically” an information service – but it’s really no different, and it’s something that regulators in the UK would not allow to stand.

Analysis published by Italian gambling site GiocoResponsabile puts the total value of betting-linked sponsorship in Serie A at around €38.5m a year, with Inter accounting for most of it – and that’s a very stark contrast compared to what’s happening in England.

REGGIO NELL’EMILIA, ITALY – APRIL 01: Keep Racism Out logo is seen prior to the Serie A TIM match between US Sassuolo and Udinese Calcio at Mapei Stadium – Citta’ del Tricolore on April 01, 2024 in Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images)

The Premier League has voluntarily walked away from roughly £80m/year in revenue, while Italian football – despite the so-called “advertising ban” – continues to cash in. Ironically, Italian clubs are now lobbying for the ban to be relaxed altogether, which would open up stadium naming rights of the kind Stoke City have had with the bet365 Stadium for years.

Whether English clubs eventually adopt their approach remains to be seen, but it will also likely depend on how quickly replacement sponsors can be found – and what kind of money they’re willing to pay.