Manchester United’s £20M Betway Training Wear Deal Signals Shift in EPL Gambling Sponsorship

Manchester United has finalized a record-breaking sponsorship agreement with Betway, securing a £20 million ($27 million) annual deal for the team’s training wear. The partnership marks a significant shift in how Premier League clubs are monetizing their brand amid regulatory changes targeting gambling sponsorship.

The deal comes as Manchester United continues its existing partnership with Snapdragon, which remains on the front of the team’s match jerseys through a £60 million per year agreement until 2029. However, the new training wear sponsorship with Betway reflects the club’s strategy to capitalize on secondary sponsorship opportunities following the EPL’s decision to ban gambling logos from the front of match jerseys starting in the 2026/27 season.

This regulatory shift was part of a compromise reached in 2023, where the EPL’s 20 clubs agreed to remove gambling logos from the front of shirts in exchange for avoiding a broader government ban on gambling advertising in soccer. Currently, 11 of the 20 EPL clubs feature gambling logos on their jerseys, though none of the top-tier ‘Big Six’ clubs do. Despite this, all clubs maintain commercial ties with betting companies, albeit through less prominent sponsorship avenues.

With front-of-jersey sponsorships off the table, betting companies are increasingly turning to alternative sponsorship opportunities, such as shirt sleeves, advertising boards, and training wear. The £20 million deal with Betway exemplifies this trend, ensuring the betting brand maintains visibility while adhering to new regulations.

Critics of the ban argue that it may do little to reduce the overall visibility of gambling in soccer, given the ubiquity of betting ads in the sport. A study by the University of Bristol found that gambling advertisements were displayed over 29,000 times in the UK during the first week of the 2015/16 season—nearly three times more than in the same period the previous year. Many of the current gambling sponsors on EPL shirts are either Asia-focused brands or global operators targeting markets where gambling promotion is restricted.

The Betway deal not only underscores the financial appeal of these sponsorships but also highlights the adaptability of both clubs and betting companies in navigating regulatory challenges. As the landscape continues to evolve, secondary sponsorships are becoming a cornerstone of brand visibility and revenue generation in the iGaming sector.