BBC host Gary Lineker has questioned Aston Villa’s decision to agree a sponorship deal with a gambling firm for the forthcoming Premier League season. The Villains have announced that BK8 will feature on the front of their shirts this season, despite a recent ban that was put in place to prohibit clubs from featuring gambling or betting firms in that position on their matchday jerseys.
Villa announced a three-year partnership with BK8 as their new ‘principal and front of shirt partner’, but all 20 Premier League clubs had previously confirmed that they were in agreement to ban such sponsors from the end of the 2025-26 season.
Having been left perplexed by the announcement, Lineker reacted to the news on Twitter and called the move into question. He wrote: “Thought clubs were no longer going to have gambling sponsors on shirts?”, coupled with a thinking emoji.
However, the ban is only set to come into effect for the 2026-27 season, which is when Villa’s partnership with BK8 will end as per their new agreement.
An Aston Villa spokesperson said: “Through this partnership with BK8 we look forward to exciting collaborations together that will help to grow both brands, particularly within Southeast Asia.”
BK8 will be featured on all three kits this season, while the third jersey – yet to be released – will see the club make a contribution to a local charity in Birmingham with every shirt sold.
The English top flight became the first league to voluntarily ban front of shirt betting sponsors in a decision that was widely commended following discussions with the government.
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