The English top flight will not allow kit sponsorships with gambling companies for any of their clubs from next season.
As the Premier League looks to secure deals for EPL TV Rights across the world this summer, there will be another hot topic in the business of the world’s most lucrative league, and that is sponsorship.
As has been widely reported, the Premier League will no longer allow front-of-shirt sponsors to be gambling companies from the beginning of next season. This is something which is causing a lot of consternation and strategising among clubs.
However, Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the league, are now in talks with Betway over a contentious sponsorship deal, one which reportedly could break the ban.
In 2023, Premier League clubs collectively agreed to withdraw gambling companies from their shirt sponsorships. Starting from the 2026-27 campaign, there will be no betting advertisements on the kits of any side in the top flight of English football.
Despite this, Manchester United are in advanced talks with Betway, a betting company, over a sponsorship deal. The deal is worth a possible £18 million, which would see Betway become the training kit sponsor for the club. This move may not sit well with the club’s fanbase, fans more broadly, and, more importantly, the Premier League itself and other governing bodies.
The Betway logo would be prominently displayed on United’s training attire worn by players at their Carrington training base. Consequently, it would be seen in video and photographic content taken of United players during training sessions.
United’s training kits were initially sponsored by blockchain company Tezos, but that deal ended in June 2025. Betway has previously been the front-of-shirt sponsor for West Ham United and also has global gambling partnerships with Manchester City, Arsenal, and Brighton & Hove Albion.
The deal between Betway and United is understood to be worth as much as £18m, a high figure for a single partner. This is comparable with the partnership Bayern Munich has with Allianz, which includes stadium naming rights.
United have competed this season without a sponsor for their training attire. After the deal with Tezos ended, United decided not to rush into making a deal with a new sponsor. They wanted to take their time to consider a sponsor that ticks all the right financial boxes while also being a strong, marketable fit with the club itself.
Red Devils executives held talks with Tanzania, the African branch of the Six Rivers Foundation. Despite United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe being an investor in the conservation project, they could not come to a deal.
The club has also started working with marketing agency Two Circles, of which ex-United sales manager Leo Thompson is a part. The company has been assisting the club’s search for a new sleeve sponsor, with DXC’s contract coming to an end in the summer.
This search has been made easier by Michael Carrick steering United into next season’s Champions League. They secured their place in Europe’s elite competition by overcoming Liverpool 3-2 at Old Trafford.
While the potential sponsorship deal with Betway is financially lucrative, it may stir controversy due to the Premier League’s stance on betting companies. It remains to be seen how this will impact the club’s relationship with its fans and the wider football community.
