Front-of-shirt (FoS) betting sponsorships have made a “mini comeback” after a drop off last year, according to new research from Caytoo.
Despite the Premier League contemplating a ban
, gambling saw the third-highest rise in FoS deals across England’s 226 professional football, cricket and rugby teams.
As a result, the sector now accounts for 9.2% of all sponsors, putting it in second place behind the automotive industry at 10.5% and ahead of retail at 8.8%.
Gambling brands also account for more football FoS sponsors than any other sector, with a 15.4% share, in contrast to
reports that Premier League clubs are prepared to support their prohibition
.
England’s top-flight football clubs were scheduled to hold a vote on scrapping gambling-related FoS deals earlier this year, but this was postponed amid turmoil in government
.
While the Premier League only accounts for 20 of England’s professional football teams, Caytoo’s findings may raise concerns about clubs’ overall appetite for a voluntary ban.
Alex Burmaster, Head of Research and Analysis at Caytoo, commented on this and other areas, remarking: “It’s a notable return to favour for gambling after its share of sponsorships nearly halved from 2019 to 2021.
“However, this year, deals in rugby and cricket have resulted in a mini comeback which will surprise many as publicity on gambling sponsorship centres on football.
“So, the big questions are: will the Premier League voluntary ban happen and, if so, will other divisions or sports such as rugby and cricket follow suit?”
And while gambling experienced a modest resurgence, other sectors weren’t so lucky. Financial services, last year’s second most dominant sector, saw the biggest drop, falling from 8.4% to 6.1%, while alcohol was down from 3.1% to 1.3%.