Has Serie A Seen an Influx of Gaming Sponsors After the Premier League Ban?
· CultOfCalcio
Right now, football’s relationship with money from the gambling industry is being reshaped. Since the start of the current season, The post Has Serie A Seen an Influx of Gaming Sponsors After the Premier League Ban? appeared first on The Cult of Calcio .
Right now, football’s relationship with money from the gambling industry is being reshaped. Since the start of the current season, Premier League clubs are no longer permitted to carry a gambling brand on the front of their matchday shirts. With English top-flight teams making this move, people are questioning what impact it could have on other leagues such as Serie A.
At present, it’s fair to say it’s not making too much of an impact because Italy has had its own restrictions in place since 2019. However, if lawmakers were to change their stance, any performing online casino would be vying for an opportunity to put its name front and centre.
What the Premier League Ban Actually Is
In 2023, Premier League clubs came together and voluntarily decided that from the start of the 2026/27 campaign, they’d no longer display the branding of gambling sponsors on the front of matchday shirts. While this decision is a lasting one, it doesn’t mean English top-flight teams are now completely unable to work with brands from the gambling industry. They can still display logos of these companies everywhere else, be it on the shirt backs or sleeves, on training kits, on advertising boards or even as stadium naming rights sponsors. The ban was brought in to limit the exposure of these brands to fans in the stadium or those watching on television, as the front-of-shirt space is prime real estate where exposure is concerned.
Why Serie A Can’t Simply Step In
Italy’s Dignity Decree, introduced in 2018 and enforced from 2019, prohibits gambling advertising and sponsorship in sports. Several Serie A clubs had to end lucrative partnerships in the same way Premier League teams did, with it being argued that the ban cost clubs upwards of €100 million annually. The figure is only an estimate, but it’s one of the primary reasons why Serie A president Ezio Simonelli has pushed for reform. Therefore, the Premier League ban hasn’t created a rush of gambling sponsors into Serie A.
The Workarounds Already In Place
Italian clubs have never stood still on this matter. Instead, they’ve looked to find workarounds so that they can benefit from the money on offer from gambling sponsors. Inter’s deal with Betsson, which is reportedly worth close to €30 million per season, is presented as a partnership with a sports information site rather than a betting company. Roma’s deal with Eurobet follows the same logic. These arrangements have been described as loopholes by some, while the clubs themselves insist they comply with the law.
Could the Door Reopen?
Repeal talk is getting louder. Sports minister Andrea Abodi has supported revisiting the decree, and a Senate culture committee backed a resolution aimed at removing the blanket prohibition. However, opposition remains vocal, with some insisting that the decree should not be touched, and public health groups oppose a full rollback, so any new framework would likely come with tight conditions.
Conclusion
For now, the only kits meaningfully affected by the Premier League’s ban are those of Premier League clubs. Serie A is yet to really feel anything major either way, and Italy’s laws would naturally make it difficult for the league to welcome the sponsors who may have stepped away from the English top flight. The only way this could change is if the government had a drastic change of heart.