Nottingham Forest Signs Bally’s Shirt Sponsorship Ahead of Ban

With a ban that will prohibit the display of sportsbook logos on soccer (and sports) players’ jerseys and shirts, the partnership comes as a surpriseImage Source: Shutterstock.com

Call it a last hurrah if you will, but Nottingham Forestand Bally’s Corporation have signed a new front-of-shirt sponsorship which will see the sportsbook’s logo prominently displayed during the Premier League 2025-26 season.

UK’s Soccer Teams Still Keen to Secure Last-Year Partnerships

The partnership comes at a time when a gambling ban that prohibits such partnerships is nearly set in place and has caused a bit of criticism. Still, the move makes strategic sense as both parties are benefiting – Bally’s by using this opportunity to boost its UK footprintand Nottingham to raise funds to further strengthen its operations.

“We are on a special journey – we are determined to keep achieving incredible things, and strengthening our global partnerships is an important part of this,”Nottingham owner Evangelos Marinakis said, commenting on the partnership.

It is hardly just about the money, however, as Marinakis has used the partnership to also allow for new opportunities between fans and the team, and Bally’s is a perfect partner to help achieve this.

Gambling Companies Will Be Likely to Partner with Teams in 2026/27 Season

“As our club continues to thrive both on and off the pitch, we’re looking forward to working with Bally’s on a number of exciting initiatives, helping us to engage with our growing fanbase within Nottinghamshire and around the world,”he explained.

This is the last season when such a partnership can be struck and operated, as starting from 2026/2027, all such collaborations will end. This is not to say that sports teams and gambling companies cannot strike similar partnerships, but they won’t have the opportunity to display company logos.