Could Nigeria Follow the English Premier League’s Lead on Sponsorship Rules?

In a landmark decision, Premier League clubs have agreed to end gambling sponsorship on matchday shirts, effective from the 2025/2026 season.

This move aims to reduce gambling advertising and promote responsible gaming practices as said by the EPL body.

Tobi Adepoju, director of Ikorodu City FC, and Tomiwa Aghedo, a betting industry expert, shared their thoughts on the impact of this decision on football clubs and the future of sponsorships in the sport.

The Premier League’s Changes

Last April, the EPL proscribed the promotion of betting companies on EPL clubs matchday fronts shirts. As a result of this eight EPL clubs, Bournemouth, Everton, Brentford, Everton, Fulham, Leeds, Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham who are currently promoting betting companies via their respective matchday front shirts were told to change sponsors making them lose several millions in Pounds.

Premier League clubs have today collectively agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of clubs’ matchday shirts, becoming the first sports league in the UK to take such a measure voluntarily in order to reduce gambling advertising.

In this report, SportsBoom.com looks at several factors for this decision and the effects on the clubs and League as a whole.

Image Credits: English Premier League

Unfair to Cut Off Revenue Streams?

As a result of this, the eight top-flight clubs in question will lose an estimated £60m in sponsorship deals annually.

“Betting companies are significant sponsors in football, and this move may deny clubs a substantial revenue stream,” said Tobi Adepoju, a director of a newly promoted topflight club Ikorodu City FC.

Adepoju continued that alternative measures can be taken to address match-fixing concerns without denying clubs sponsorship opportunities.

"I think it's unfair to cut off these businesses because betting companies bring revenue and sponsorship to football clubs. The English FA should find other mechanisms to checkmate match-fixing instead of denying clubs revenues,” he told SportsBoom.com. 

Betting Companies Just Need Visibility

Adepoju added that betting companies prioritise visibility through football sponsorships and not as the general opinion of match-fixing as thought by the public.

“I'm saying in essence is that betting companies being part of share's sponsorship doesn't mean they have influence over match fixing. Issues of match fixing have always been there, in sports.”

“I think for the betting companies, all they are looking for is visibility. Football business is becoming very big, with a lot of big numbers, as well as sports events. All they are looking for is visibility for their brands, they just want to be inside those numbers generated by football events and other sports events.”

Preventing Gambling Addiction by Streamlining Income

Tomiwa Aghedo, an expert in the betting field and a former head of marketing with Bigibet, described the recent regulation as a means to streamline the source of income for English clubs while trying to prevent the prevalence of gambling addiction.

“I can relate to their concerns, right? In the last season (2023), there were cases of Newcastle’s Tonali, Ivan Toney of Brentford, Paqueta of West Ham, being charged with gambling; there have been an increase of cases.”

“So, it really makes sense that, you know, there's a ban on it. Beyond that, there's also the prevalence of a potential negative impact on society.”

“And I don't agree that the UK should have either, that's too extreme because they're taking revenue away from the club.”