Johnny Nicholson: Premier League can afford to wean itself off gambling sponsorship

Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha chased by West Ham’s Said Benrahma during the Premier League match at Selhurst Park on January 26. There are now eight Premier League teams sponsored by gambling firms. Picture: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

The football industry and the gambling industry are locked together in a toxic embrace. With the exception of three clubs — Sheffield United, Liverpool, and Chelsea — every Premier League team began the 2020-21 season with some sort of financial association with a betting brand.

West Ham, Wolves, Burnley, Southampton, Leeds, Crystal Palace, Newcastle, and Fulham all have betting companies on the front of their shirts, while Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion have gambling firms on their shirt sleeves. The EFL is sponsored by flutter-owned gambling group Sky Bet and half of the Championship’s 24 clubs have gambling groups as their main shirt sponsor too.