EPL Jersey Ban Cuts Gambling Ads by Just 10.5%, Study Finds

The English Premier League’s much-publicized ban on gambling sponsorships on the fronts of players’ jerseys has reduced betting advertising during live matches by just 10.5%, according to new research.

A University of Bristol study, published Wednesday (Oct. 21), recorded 15,571 gambling marketing messages during the opening weekend of the 2026-27 season, despite the introduction of the voluntary restriction.

Researchers found that gambling branding had largely migrated to other parts of players’ uniforms and stadiums. Advertising on jersey sleeves and training gear increased 362% compared with previous years, while perimeter advertising accounted for 72% of gambling messages during live broadcasts.

The ban, agreed to by Premier League clubs in 2023 and implemented this season, prohibits betting companies from sponsoring the fronts of matchday jerseys, but it does not extend to sleeves, training gear, or advertising around stadiums.

Gambling Ads Remain Unavoidable

Researchers examined seven televised Premier League matches between August 21 and 24, alongside Sky Sports News, TalkSport radio, and social media activity.

They counted 11,205 gambling messages during live match coverage alone, with at least one betting advertisement visible for five hours and 16 minutes, equivalent to almost 20% of broadcast time.

The worst offender was Newcastle United’s match against Liverpool, which featured 2,702 gambling messages, averaging more than 12 per minute. Gambling advertising was visible for almost 41% of the broadcast.

Dr. Raffaello Rossi, who led the research, said the findings exposed the limitations of voluntary regulation.

“The front-of-shirt ban was effective in removing gambling logos from shirt fronts, but it did not remove them from football,” he said.

The study also examined advertising internationally, finding that Premier League broadcasts averaged 2,449 gambling messages per game across the four-year research period, compared with 1,677 in Germany’s Bundesliga and fewer than 510 during NBA and NHL coverage in North America.

Campaigners Demand Crackdown

The findings were presented Wednesday to British lawmakers at a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gambling Reform.

The group’s co-chair, Conservative lawmaker Sir Iain Duncan Smith, said the findings showed the voluntary approach was failing and called for tighter government regulation.

Nick Harvey, a spokesperson for the Coalition to End Gambling Ads, told The Independent the shirt ban was a cynical move that simply displaced advertising to other locations.

The Premier League defended the policy, emphasizing that it was the first British sports league to voluntarily eliminate front-of-jersey gambling sponsorships. It added the ban was just one of a series of safeguards intended to protect children and vulnerable people.