Aston Villa have been accused of a “tone-deaf” and “dangerous” new shirt sponsorship deal with controversial online betting company BK8.
Despite pleas from fans and a Premier League pledge to outlaw betting firms as a club’s main shirt sponsor from 2026, Villa have agreed a three-year deal with a brand that was previously dropped by Norwich City following outrage over sexualised adverts with young women.
Villa said that the partnership would create “exciting collaborations together that will help to grow both brands, particularly within Southeast Asia” but the announcement was greeted on Twitter by one Birmingham City Councillor with an emoji of someone being sick.
“Really poor choice by the club to go back to gambling sponsors but one with a misogynist history too,” said Cllr Nicky Brennan, who represents the Sparkhill ward. She added: “Modern football – always about the money – when it should be about the fans and community.”
Former England captain and now BBC Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker highlighted the Premier League’s recent promise. “Thought clubs were no longer going to have gambling sponsors on shirts?” he wrote, referring to the announcement in April that, from 2026-27, clubs would no longer advertise betting companies on the front of their matchday shirts.
The new partnership was also condemned by the campaign group Betting With Lives, which is a community of families bereaved by gambling-related suicide.
“This is not only tone-deaf but also dangerous,” said a spokesperson. “At least one person dies every day in the UK because of gambling. Fans, including children, should be able to watch or go to games without being bombarded by gambling ads.”
As revealed in January by Telegraph Sport, the Aston Villa Fans Consultation Group had previously written to the club over the expected new partnership with BK8, who will replace Cazoo as the club’s primary sponsor. The deal with Cazoo was understood to be worth £6 million a year to Villa but clubs like West Ham United and Everton have earned around £10 million a season with betting firms.
“While we appreciate that gambling firms typically pay above the average rate for Premier League shirt sponsorships, considering the club’s promises we feel Aston Villa is not holding itself to a high enough standard, especially when it comes to the ethics of sponsorship arrangements,” the Villa fan groups said. The letter also questioned whether it was an opportunistic move ahead of the government’s delayed white paper on gambling reform.
In the summer of 2021, Norwich had been forced to tear up a deal with BK8 amid outrage among fans and locals who pointed out marketing on YouTube featured simulated sex acts with a sausage.
BK8 have since deleted the adverts, apologised and rebranded themselves. Campaigners, including England record appearance holder Peter Shilton, have been calling for an outright ban on betting companies in football.
“It’s everywhere,” said James Grimes, head of education at Gambling with Lives. “It’s bonkers that we have got into this situation where it is omnipresent.
“The Government must really take control of this and stop all forms of gambling advertising in football. Football will rinse every single penny from this industry until it is no longer allowed to do so. That is the depressing reality.”
BK8, who will have branding featured on the front of Villa’s three shirts until the end of the 2025-26 season, have committed to making a local charity contribution for every adult third strip that is sold. “The move comes off the back of BK8’s previous work over the past two years, working with charities and programmes involving mental health awareness and this initiative is the first of what will be a number of collaborations with the club,” said an Aston Villa statement.
Michael Gatt, BK8 EMEA managing director, stressed their commitment to the local community.
“We will work tirelessly to make an impact in this area with a number of programmes across the region that engage with Villa supporters locally but also on a global scale,” said Gatt.
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