By Makaitei Nhau
Premier League team Arsenal has announced online gaming and betting operator Betway as the official betting partner of its men’s team. The partnership means that the Betway brand will be represented across the club’s advertising boards at The Emirates Stadium for all domestic competition matches.
Betway is not the only gambling brand associated with Premier League clubs. This type of partnership is common for brands like Betway, which are well-known in the UK and hold UKGC licenses. There has also been an increase in offshore licensed casinos not on GAMSTOP entering partnerships with UK-based football teams.
These brands include Stake at Everton, W88 at Fulham, SBOTOP at Leeds United, and Fun88 at Newcastle United. They operate under the umbrella of TGP Europe and can secure relationships with clubs as part of a white label agreement. These partnerships benefit the club by bringing in additional income. They also benefit the brands as they raise their profile in the UK and attract residents who want to play without the restrictions imposed at many GAMSTOP sites.
This profile enhancement applies to all brands that sign deals with Premier League teams. The deal opens the door for them on the UK and global market for the club’s brand. Anthony Werkman, CEO of Betway Group, referred to this beneficial relationship when talking about the company’s deal with Arsenal. He said,
“We’re excited to work together to deliver great content and experiences for Arsenal’s huge global supporter base, and Betway will also be working with the club to ensure the partnership follows industry marketing protocols and important responsible gambling practices.”
This is not the first time that Betway has signed a football-related deal. The brand has partnerships with clubs in the Bundesliga and La Liga. The betting company looks forward to developing this latest relationship, and the board at Arsenal is also excited about the deal. Juliet Slot, Arsenal’s Chief Commercial Officer, said,
“We are excited to work with Betway to bring more experiences for our supporters across the world and promote responsible gambling.”
Despite this excitement, fans may wonder how the deal fits with the ban on front-of-shirt betting sponsors from the start of the 2026/27 season. The ban is a voluntary agreement by the Premier League’s clubs that aims to allay the concerns about the effect of front-of-shirt gambling advertising on vulnerable and young people.
In truth, the ban does not have an impact on deals like the one signed between Betway and Arsenal. It does not affect the ability of the club to advertise the Betway brand on advertising boards at The Emirates Stadium. The ban also does not affect gambling-related advertising on shirt sleeves or training tops.
So, even when the front-of-shirt advertising ban happens, teams will still be able to sign similar deals like the one between Arsenal and Betway. There is a chance that the situation will change in the future if the UK Government imposes restrictions, but there is no sign of this happening at present as the government recently took a step back from an outright ban on gambling advertising, stating there is no sufficient evidence that such a ban is needed.
