All 20 Premier League clubs have collectively agreed to remove betting sponsors from the front of matchday shirts, becoming the first UK sports league to do so.

The proposal has been in consideration for several months now, coinciding with potential government legislation on gambling reform. As a result, multiple clubs with betting sponsors have already begun looking for new kit sponsorships.

There are currently eight clubs in the Premier League with shirt sponsors promoting gambling. While many of these clubs, including Newcastle and Brentford, have already started the search to replace their sponsors, Aston Villa and Everton recently agreed to new shirt deals with betting firms. To give these clubs time to terminate sponsorship contracts, the new measure won’t start until the 2025/26 season.

According to a recent report from University of Glasgow, more than 700 betting-related logos can be seen during the course of a match. The consistent presence of gambling companies is creating a toxic influence off the pitch – particularly for the next generation of the country. Shirt sponsorship has normalised betting among young fans who are seeing the game through a much more impressionable lens.

While there is still much work to be done in safeguarding football fans from gambling addiction, the league’s efforts to eliminate the promotion of betting firms from the game is a way forward.