Premier League, EFL, FA, and WSL introduce code of conduct for gambling sponsorships

The Premier League, EFL, FA, and Women’s Super League (WSL) have announced a new code of conduct for gambling-related agreements in football.

The code, which will be implemented at the start of the 2024-25 season, is designed to regulate gambling sponsorships across the professional game, emphasising four key principles: protection, social responsibility, reinvestment, and integrity.

A key aspect of the code is its emphasis on reinvestment. Revenue generated from gambling sponsorships must be redirected into football-related infrastructure and community programmes. This includes improvements to stadiums and training facilities, as well as investments in grassroots football and local community participation.

Under the new code, gambling sponsorships will also be required to target their marketing efforts more carefully to avoid reaching children and individuals at risk of gambling-related harm. Additionally, any gambling-related sponsorship must include educational initiatives and awareness campaigns designed to promote responsible gambling practices.

The importance of maintaining the integrity of football competitions is also stressed in the code, adding that gambling sponsorships must not “harm the welfare of those participants who take part in them”.

In April 2023, Premier League clubs voted for a ban on gambling companies as front-of-shirt sponsors. This will be in place from the end of the 2025-26 season.

A YouGov poll following that vote found that 77 per cent of respondents were in favour of the ban on gambling companies sponsoring the fronts-of-shirts and only eight per cent opposed it. Additionally, 56 per cent endorsed extending the ban to perimeter advertising, while 42 per cent favoured removing gambling logos from shirt sleeves.

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