For the first time in a long time, the 2026/27 Premier League season will look very different from the campaign before it.

It’s not just the departure of icons like Mohamed Salah and Pep Guardiola, or the golden Premier League champions badge on Arsenal’s sleeve; it’s a change impacting nearly every team in the league.

The voluntary ban on gambling front-of-shirt sponsorships takes effect this season, and before any matches have been played, controversy around the decision has raged.

Questions over reduced revenue, especially amongst mid-table teams who relied more heavily on the cash injections provided by gambling operators, and the effectiveness of the ban—which has been circumvented by moving operator logos to sleeves and training kits—have been hard to ignore.

One team capitalising on the loophole is Manchester United, which confirmed this week a partnership with Betway. The gambling operator becomes Official Principal Partner and Exclusive Global Betting Partner to the Red Devils, appearing on the club’s training ground kits.