EPL Jersey Ban Fails to Curb Gambling Ads, University Study Finds

The English Premier League is under scrutiny following a scientific investigation by the University of Bristol that exposed the extent of remaining gambling advertising. Despite the much-publicized voluntary waiver of betting providers as main sponsors on the front of player jerseys, which came into effect just in time for the start of the 2026/2027 season, the industry remains omnipresent. Researchers registered a total of 15,571 marketing messages related to gambling during the opening weekend in August. This is a startlingly high number considering that the new rules were supposed to improve the protection of children and vulnerable people. However, the reality is that the logos have merely changed their position on the fabric or increasingly flicker on digital pitchside boards.

The shift in advertising space is particularly striking. While the chest area is now free of betting providers, presence on shirt sleeves and training wear has literally exploded. Experts recorded a 362 percent increase in this area compared to previous years. It seems as if clubs and their sponsors have searched for and found loopholes to maintain the visibility of their brands. The study included seven televised matches between August 21 and 24, as well as hours of analysis of Sky Sports News and radio stations. The result is clear: the flood of advertising has hardly subsided, with the total number of messages falling by only 10.5 percent.

Numbers and facts

A look at the details of the study makes the problem clear. During live broadcasts alone, 11,205 messages were counted. If you add up the time in which at least one betting provider logo was in the picture, you get five hours and 16 minutes. This corresponds to almost 20 percent of the total broadcast time. The negative record was held by the match between Newcastle United and Liverpool. Here, 2,702 advertising messages hit the viewers. On average, that was more than 12 messages per minute. During this specific match, gambling advertising was visible for almost 41 percent of the broadcast duration. Such a volume of visual stimuli can hardly be ignored, even if viewers try to focus only on the sport.

Pitchside advertising boards account for the bulk of messages during matches at 72 percent. Often, the note "gamble responsibly" is faded in there, but experts doubt the effectiveness of such slogans when the brands are simultaneously heavily promoted. In an international comparison, English football performs particularly poorly. While a Premier League match contains an average of 2,449 messages, the figure in the German Bundesliga is 1,677. In North America, the figure for NBA and NHL games is even below 510. This illustrates how deeply rooted the betting business is in the British football culture.

Background

The decision for the ban on the front of the jersey was already made in 2023. It was a concession by the clubs to forestall even tougher government regulation. However, the current results from the researchers led by Dr. Raffaello Rossi show that this self-regulation is reaching its limits. The campaign group "Coalition to End Gambling Ads" speaks of a cynical move by the league that has merely displaced advertising to other locations.

"The front-of-shirt ban was effective in removing gambling logos from shirt fronts, but it did not remove them from football." - Dr. Raffaello Rossi, Project Lead at the University of Bristol

These findings have already been presented to the British Parliament. Sir Iain Duncan Smith, co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gambling Reform, sees the data as proof that the voluntary approach has failed. He is now calling for a significant tightening of the legal framework, as the industry is obviously not prepared to limit its reach without compulsion.

Why it matters for German players

German football fans who regularly follow the Premier League on streaming services or pay TV are directly exposed to this massive advertising presence. In Germany, the State Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV 2021) regulates marketing much more strictly. Nevertheless, the boundaries blur in international broadcasts. For players in Germany, it is important to know that many of the providers advertised on a large scale in England do not have a German license from the Joint Gambling Authority of the States (GGL). Anyone tempted by English advertising often ends up with illegal offshore providers.

In Germany, a strict deposit limit of 1,000 euros per month via the LUGAS system applies to prevent excessive gaming behavior. In addition, stake limits on slots are capped at 1 euro per spin. Such protective mechanisms are missing from the often globally active providers advertised on British television without a German license. German consumers should therefore always check the official GGL whitelist before registering with a provider, no matter how often their logo is seen on the sleeve of a Premier League star.

What it means for GGL-licensed casinos

For operators with a GGL license in Germany, the aggressive advertising in the Premier League represents a form of unfair competition. While local providers must adhere to strict advertising bans, international brands penetrate German living rooms via football broadcasts. This could increase the pressure on the GGL to take even stronger action against cross-border advertising in the future. It also underscores the importance of a legal, well-regulated market where player protection takes precedence over profit interests. Providers with a German license advertise transparently and adhere to addiction prevention requirements, which clearly distinguishes them from the omnipresent, sometimes dubious sponsors of the English league.