United Kingdom: no measures taken against gambling operators in the Football Governance Bill

The Football Governance Bill, which aims to introduce an independent regulator for professional football in the UK, was approved by the House of Lords on 19/03/2025. The revised text, supported by Keir Starmer's government, will undergo a third reading in the upper house of the British Parliament on 26/03/2025 before being considered by the House of Commons.

Among the 375 amendments proposed to the initial text, which was introduced in the House of Lords at first reading on 24/10/2024, one aimed in particular to introduce an obligation for the future regulator to prohibit professional football organisations from entering into advertising or sponsorship contracts with companies in the gambling sector. This was not adopted (74 votes in favour, 339 against).

Despite the absence of legislation obliging them to do so, the Premier League clubs collectively agreed to a ban on displaying a sports betting operator as a main shirt sponsor from the 2026-27 season, on 13/04/2023. The aim of this voluntary compromise was to allow the clubs in England's top flight to be exempted from future…