The way British sports interact with the betting industry is changing, and yet at the same time, there’s a sense of consistency as some clubs look for alternative sponsors while others stick to their guns under a new framework.
It’s news to no one that front-of-shirt sponsorships in the Premier League are coming to an end this season (2025/26). It’s also not new to anyone that partnerships between clubs and unlicensed firms are on the ropes amid a Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) consultation which places these relationships under the spotlight.
This would explain why Everton and Fulham are, according to media reports, changing tact. The former is looking for a replacement for its long-time front-of-shirt partner Stake, while the latter looks to replace SBOTOP.
According to Sky News, both Everton and Fulham are engaged in talks with CMC Markets, a London financial services firm which also runs a spread betting brokerage. The company is regulated by both the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).
However, since its primary function is rooted in financial services, it may be exempt from the Premier League’s forthcoming self-imposed ban on front-of-shirt betting sponsorships, due to come into effect from the 2026/27 season onwards.
A not-so-new era of sponsorship?
Everton has been partnered with Stake since 2022, a global crypto betting firm which withdrew from the UK market in February 2024. Fulham, meanwhile, partnered with Celton Manx-owned SBOTOP in 2023 – an Asian-focused betting firm that also exited the UK in 2025, following the TGP Europe white label network exodus that occurred last April.
This places Everton and Fulham in a unique position as, currently, both are partnered with unlicensed firms. This is technically still permitted, with the caveat that the operators are not targeting players based in the UK, something that the likes of Chelsea partner 8xbet and others have gone to some interesting lengths to prove.
However, the days may be numbered on such agreements, depending on how the ongoing DCMS consultation pans out.
SBC News has reached out to both Everton and Fulham for comment on the media reports.
The fact that both Everton and Fulham are reportedly engaged in talks with CMC Markets suggests that Premier League teams are still keen to engage with the betting industry in some form even after accepting a self-imposed ban.
Advocates for gambling reform have called for a total ban on sponsorship activity throughout the 2020-2023 review of the 2005 Gambling Act.
However, the question has arisen over whether financial services, trading and crypto firms could simply fill that void and offer an alternative revenue stream that would otherwise be closed off once a ban on gambling sponsors comes into play – Everton and Fulham’s rumoured conversations with CMC suggest there may be some truth in these claims.
Broadening the scope of sponsorships
However, the voluntary front-of-shirt ban only touches on one type of sponsorship, as its name suggests. It still allows for sleeve partnerships, perimeter LED advertising, training kit partnerships, and social media partnerships.
Partnerships between English clubs and unlicensed firms have received a lot of negative press in recent months. But partnerships between clubs and regulated operators are still commonplace – Aston Villa and Betano, and West Ham and BoyleSports being two examples.
In the case of the latter, the duo have been looking at different ways to leverage their partnership beyond a brand featuring on the front of a shirt. West Ham has been organising a ‘Shirt Swap’ stall at certain matches where fans can claim free 2025/26 home and away shirts.
The stall is being brought back for the club’s FA Cup quarter-final match against Leeds United this Sunday (5 April), taking place at the London Stadium. Fans need to bring in an old shirt to swap it for a new 2025/26 season one, with the stall opening at 2pm and closing at 4:30pm when the match kicks off.
“From the very start of the season, we’ve been focused on enhancing the supporter experience in meaningful ways,” said Liam McKee, Head of Sponsorship at BoyleSports.
“After such a strong response earlier this season, bringing the ‘Shirt Swap’ market stall back felt like a natural next step. We’re hoping that the event brings supporters good luck in this huge cup tie.”
The dynamics of sponsorship are undoubtedly changing, but the way it will change will differ from club to club.
For some, betting partners will be replaced with companies from different industries, perhaps ones that are betting-adjacent like CMC Markets, or even prediction platforms if these newcomers experience the same success in Europe as they have in the US.
For others, engagement with betting will continue but within the parameters of the front-of-shirt ban, the Gambling Act review’s Code of Conduct on sponsorship, and a potential DCMS ban on deals with unlicensed firms.
Above all of this, the financial strain on marketing budgets caused by the UK’s new tax regime – coming into effect tomorrow, 1 April – will make it all the more important for operators to ensure any football sponsorship activities are creating value for money.