Sunderland’s New Kit Sponsor Shuffle Lacks a UK Licence

Elly M · 15 September 2026

Sunderland’s return to the Premier League has come with an unusual shirt detail: a sleeve sponsor that UK-licensed players cannot legally use. The newly promoted club has struck a multi-year deal with Shuffle, a crypto-focused casino and sportsbook that has never held a UK Gambling Commission licence, joining a growing list of top-flight sides whose kit sponsors sit outside the regulated market.

What’s been released

Sunderland AFC have announced a new multi-year agreement with Shuffle, naming the centralized crypto casino and sports betting platform as the club’s Official Sleeve Partner.

The logo made its first appearance on 12 September during Sunderland’s 2-0 loss to Arsenal.

The deal replaces LiveScore Bet, who served as Sunderland’s sleeve sponsor during the 25-26 season.

The sponsorship covers the Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League, which the club plays in for the first time this season.

Serios Group had the sleeve for the last two seasons and continues as a club sponsor, while Sunderland are still looking to put a front-of-shirt partner in place.

What’s changed

Premier League regulations prohibit front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships starting in the 26-27 campaign, though betting and casino brands remain permitted to feature on shirt sleeves.
That distinction is why sleeve deals like this one have become the preferred route for gambling brands wanting Premier League visibility.

The detail that sets this deal apart from a routine sponsorship is Shuffle’s licensing position.
Curaçao-licensed Shuffle offers a range of casino games, live casino products and sports betting, and the operator also has its own cryptocurrency, SHFL, while accepting other major tokens including Bitcoin and Ethereum.

As Shuffle does not hold a UK gambling licence, its services should not be available to customers in the country.
For UK players used to browsing licensed slot and live-casino lobbies, that means the branding on Sunderland’s sleeve points to a product they cannot actually access at home.

The firm says it will look to leverage the club’s growing global profile to accelerate brand awareness and drive customer acquisition,
with plans for fan content, digital activations and influencer marketing built around Sunderland’s return to European football.

Where it fits

With Sunderland’s latest deal, 11 out of the 20 teams in the English Premier League now have a partnership with companies that do not have a UK gambling license.

Earlier this summer, Everton similarly announced a sleeve sponsorship agreement with online casino Stake, despite the operator having surrendered its UK gambling licence.
That Everton deal has already drawn criticism from rivals inside the regulated industry:
Entain’s General Counsel told Everton that its arrangement with Stake “is currently functioning as an implicit stamp of legitimacy for a gambling company that has no social, economic or ethical interest in the UK’s welfare or prosperity.”

For a magazine that tracks what UK players can actually load up and play, the Sunderland-Shuffle deal is a reminder of the gap between football’s global sponsorship market and the UK-licensed casino floor. Studios and operators building for this market continue to launch new slots, live tables and apps specifically cleared for UK players, while brands like Shuffle chase visibility here without offering a route to sign up legally. It is a trend worth watching as more clubs weigh up sleeve deals ahead of next season, particularly if regulators or the Premier League itself decide the current front-of-shirt ban needs extending further down the shirt.

Sunderland’s New Kit Sponsor Shuffle Lacks a UK Licence

What’s been released

What’s changed

Where it fits

Sources

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