Stake may still appear on Everton 2026/27 kit as rule change explained

Evertonians desperate to get rid of predatory gambling company Stake will have to hope the club does not use loopholes to keep the partnership alive.

Stake has been hugely unpopular with Everton fans as a front of shirt sponsor with some boycotting the kit until the deal expires.

The gambling company lost its UK licence this year after a regulatory review which included a focus on promotion using a porn actor to encourage people to sign up to the platform. While that means Everton are no longer allowed to advertise Stake on its UK site, it can still use the name on the front of its shirts and for overseas visitors to club media.

Everton fans were pleased when Premier League clubs voted to voluntarily ban gambling sponsors on the front of shirts from 2026/27 but there may be a loophole that could allow Stake to remain on the first team shirts.

The ban does not include sleeve sponsorships and the move to ban gambling from the front of shirts is expected to be lucrative for clubs, who will see sleeve sponsorship from the gambling sector rise in price as it becomes the only way to appear on Premier League kits.

The Sponsor says: “With the front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship ban coming into effect in 2026/27, many gambling brands are expected to shift to the sleeve. On average, gambling brands pay 38% more than the market average, fuelling a significant increase in sleeve sponsorship value across the league.”

It means technically Everton could continue its partnership with Stake as a sleeve sponsor instead of a main sponsor, and reports from Italy suggest Roma are set to confirm Stake as a sleeve sponsor for next season. Reports from the same sources claim the Friedkin Group are keen to sign multi-club deals with sponsors across Roma and Everton.

Everton do currently have a sleeve sponsor in watch maker Christopher Ward, which has launched two Everton-themed watches and has the world’s first watch-inspired hospitality space within Hill Dickinson Stadium.

While Christopher Ward signed a five year deal as a founding partner of the stadium back in 2024, there is no mention that the deal specifically includes five years of sleeve sponsorship.

Instead, the partnership announcement sayd: “Christopher Ward branding appears on official Everton channels and assets, including backdrops and LED screens at Goodison Park on match days.”

An extension to the partnership announcing the sleeve sponsorship aspect mentions the final season at Goodison Park and the sponsor has remained for this season.

There has been no indication Everton will continue to work with Stake past the end of the 2025/26, or that the popular Christopher Ward sponsorship will end and make space for a new sleeve sponsor. Fans voted with their wallets to buy sponsorless shirts last summer and it can be assumed the club understands the hatred of Stake on the Everton shirts.

However, rule changes have not prevented gambling sponsors entirely and it will be a real test of Everton’s new commercial set up to avoid a deeply unpopular move next season.