West Ham's new sponsorship deal raises eyebrows amid betting scandal
West Ham United has agreed a one-year, £12 million shirt sponsorship deal with Irish gambling firm BoyleSports, replacing Betway after a decade-long partnership. The move comes despite the Premier League’s impending ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships, set to take effect in 2026/27, and unfolds alongside an ongoing betting scandal involving midfielder Lucas Paquetá.
A race against the gambling sponsorship ban
The BoyleSports agreement, first reported by , allows West Ham to capitalise on betting revenue before new regulations begin. From 2026/27, Premier League clubs will be prohibited from displaying gambling brands on matchday shirts, a voluntary ban agreed to in 2023 to reduce gambling advertising’s visibility. Last season, 11 top-flight clubs featured betting sponsors.
West Ham appears to be maximising sponsorship value during the transitional period before the Premier League’s gambling sponsorship ban takes effect, though anti-gambling campaigners disagree with this decision, suggesting clubs are putting corporate greed above fans’ interests.
The Paquetá predicament
The BoyleSports deal coincides with the conclusion of a three-week Football Association (FA) hearing into Paquetá’s case. The Brazilian international faces charges of intentionally receiving yellow cards in four 2022-23 matches to influence betting markets.
Ironically, West Ham’s former sponsor Betway first flagged suspicious betting patterns linked to Paquetá Island near Rio de Janeiro, where friends and family allegedly placed bets worth $10-$500 per card. Sky Sports reports the FA is seeking a lifetime ban for the midfielder, with a verdict expected before the 2025/26 season begins.
The club maintains the sponsorship change isn’t related to Betway’s role in exposing Paquetá’s alleged betting breaches, emphasising the change was “a commercial decision unrelated to ongoing disciplinary matters”. However, critics argue the timing undermines football’s attempts to distance itself from gambling controversies, believing players get punished while clubs keep profiting from the same industry.
Navigating the post-ban landscape
The Premier League’s upcoming restrictions will force clubs to seek alternative revenue streams. Analysis by The Sponsor predicts front-of-shirt sponsorship values could drop 38 percent post-2026, with smaller clubs like Bournemouth and Wolves potentially losing over half their sponsorship income.
Although clubs may turn to sleeve sponsorships or pitch-side ads, those alternatives tend to bring in 30–50 percent less than the prime real estate of a front-of-shirt deal. West Ham’s latest move reflects a broader pattern, since the Premier League announced its upcoming ban in 2023, at least eight clubs have signed or extended gambling partnerships, making the most of the final window for top-tier exposure.
But as teams brace for the shift, the ethical debate hasn’t gone away. Critics of the BoyleSports deal say it highlights the uneasy tension between football’s commercial drive and its regulatory responsibilities. With Lucas Paquetá’s future uncertain and betting brands still front and centre, the game continues to walk a fine line between profit and public accountability.
It seems West Ham fans will see BoyleSports logos on next season’s shirts; a final gambling-branded kit before the Premier League’s new era begins. In the meantime, you can bet that this isn’t the end of gambling sponsorship in football, it’s just the start of a more creative arms race.
