Premier League gambling shirt ban leaves widespread advertising exposure

The Premier League’s ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship has had a limited impact on wider marketing exposure, according to research from the University of Bristol.

Researchers recorded 15,571 gambling messages across televised football, sports news, radio and social media during the opening weekend of the 2026/27 season.

The findings, published on 21 October, prompted renewed calls for stronger restrictions beyond the voluntary shirt-front measure. University of Bristol

What the 10.5% reduction means

The study’s headline figure does not represent a 10.5% annual fall in the overall total.

Instead, live-match messages excluding sponsorship lead-ins fell by 10.5% compared with the average for 2023–2025.  Researchers separated those lead-ins because their substantial decline was unrelated to the restrictions being assessed. 

“This cannot be presented as a success for self-regulation.” - Project lead Dr Raffaello Rossi

The restriction largely removed gambling logos from shirt fronts, but other advertising formats remained prominent. Pitchside boards accounted for 72% of live-match messages, while branding on sleeves and training kits increased sharply compared with previous years. 

Betting branding remains visible

Researchers examined all seven Premier League matches broadcast live in the UK between 21 and 24 August, alongside 15 hours each of Sky Sports News and TalkSport.

Live-match coverage contained 11,205 gambling messages. At least one message was visible for a combined five hours and 16 minutes, representing almost one-fifth of the broadcast time.

The research also examined organic posts and paid advertising from 10 major gambling brands with the largest social media followings.

These counts measure marketing visibility across the sampled coverage, rather than the number of individual viewers exposed or resulting gambling harm. 

Social media raises further concerns

Researchers identified 1,023 paid Facebook and Instagram adverts with a combined estimated UK reach of 153.2 million accounts. That combined figure should not be interpreted as 153.2 million different people.

Accounts aged 18–24 represented 16.6 million instances of estimated reach. The study also found that 93% of the gambling content marketing examined was not clearly identifiable as advertising. 

Campaigners seek wider restrictions

Former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton warned that gambling’s visibility risks making betting appear a routine part of supporting or playing football.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gambling Reform, also called for stronger government regulation.

The findings raise a broader policy question: whether restricting a single sponsorship position can substantially reduce exposure while other prominent advertising spaces remain available. The study covers an opening-weekend sample, rather than the full season.