Everton Swaps Stake Front-of-Shirt Sponsorship for CMC Markets Ahead of Premier League Betting Ban

Everton has replaced its front-of-shirt sponsorship with Stake by moving to CMC Markets, a share trading and spread betting platform. The new deal sees CMC’s logo appear on the men’s, women’s, and under-21s kits starting in the 2026/27 season. This shift comes just before the Premier League’s self-imposed ban on front-of-shirt betting company deals takes effect.

The arrangement with CMC Markets had been rumored since March. It includes branding across matchday and digital channels at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Goodison Park, the women’s stadium, and Finch Farm training ground. The club described the partnership as multi-year but provided no further financial details.

Lord Peter Cruddas, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CMC Markets, said: “Football is one of the few passions in life that inspires lifelong commitment because, like financial markets, you invest in your club long-term.” He added that supporters and CMC clients share a mindset of loyalty, patience, resilience, and confidence. Cruddas emphasized Everton’s proud history and community connections.

Andrew Middleton, Everton’s President of Business Operations, said: “This is an important agreement for the club and one that will play a key role in our continued commercial growth.” He highlighted how such partnerships strengthen revenues and build a sustainable platform.

Navigating the Front-of-Shirt Ban

The Premier League approved the front-of-shirt betting ban in 2023 with 18 of 20 clubs in favor, including Everton. The policy emerged during the government’s review of the 2005 Gambling Act amid calls for broader restrictions on betting firms in football and other sports.

While front-of-shirt deals end after this season, the rules still permit sleeve sponsorships, LED pitch perimeter advertising, social media deals, and training kit arrangements. Everton’s move to CMC Markets on the front leverages this distinction. CMC operates as a FTSE250 financial services firm regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority rather than the Gambling Commission.

Its spread betting product carries the word “betting” in the name, which may still draw scrutiny from fans who opposed the original Stake deal four years ago. Yet the club faces ongoing pressure to generate revenue and avoid further Profit and Sustainability Rules breaches that could trigger points deductions.

CMC Markets reported net income of £392.6m for 2025. Lord Peter Cruddas and Lady Fiona Cruddas ranked 142nd on the Sunday Times Rich List with a net worth of £1.16bn. From an operator perspective after eighteen years across iGaming and sportsbook operations, these financial sponsors bring stability that pure betting brands sometimes lack.

Stake Moves to Sleeve While Keeping Visibility

Stake has partnered with Everton since 2022, with its logo on the front of the shirts for four seasons. The 2026/27 ban forces the change, but the club is shifting Stake to sleeve sponsorship under another multi-year agreement.

The renewed deal grants Stake branding at the same venues: Hill Dickinson Stadium, Goodison Park, and Finch Farm. Andrew Middleton called Stake a “major supporter” of the club over the past four seasons. He pointed to the strength of the relationship and Everton’s growing commercial portfolio.

Akhil Sarin, Stake’s Chief Marketing Officer, said: “Our partnership with Everton has been an important and successful one, and we are proud to continue our relationship with one of English football’s most historic and globally recognised clubs.” The partnerships Stake chooses are deliberate, ambitious, built on innovation and a genuine connection to global communities.

Stake maintains an active sponsorship portfolio that includes former Premier League players Sergio Aguero, Patrice Evra, and Eden Hazard plus UFC fighters Alex Pereira and Max Holloway. The company remains unlicensed and inactive in the UK, which has drawn criticism from Entain in recent months.

Risks and Regulatory Headwinds

Entain has contacted Premier League leadership, the Independent Football Regulator, and governance teams at clubs including Everton. The FTSE100 operator has flagged Stake’s social media activity and influencer arrangements as potentially targeting the UK market despite the website being inaccessible to UK users.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Illegal Gambling Taskforce is consulting on whether to ban unlicensed betting companies from sponsoring all UK sports. Everton and Stake argue that the Premier League’s global audience means these deals target international markets rather than the domestic one.

This creates a clear risk for clubs. A wider ban could force further adjustments and reduce commercial options at a time when PSR compliance remains critical. In my experience across European regulated markets, operators and clubs price in these regulatory shifts quickly, but the transition periods often expose gaps in alternative revenue pipelines.

The counterargument holds that global leagues require global partners. Still, the combination of fan pushback, competitor lobbying, and ongoing government reviews adds uncertainty to arrangements like Everton’s sleeve deal with Stake.

Commercial Strategy in a Changing Landscape

Everton needs these partnerships to support ambitions on and off the pitch. The club’s new stadium and community focus form part of the pitch to sponsors. Both CMC Markets and Stake will gain visibility across physical and digital touchpoints, helping maintain commercial momentum.

The swap illustrates how clubs adapt to regulatory limits without fully severing betting-related revenue. CMC brings a financial services framing that aligns with long-term investment language, while Stake retains its sport-centric positioning on the sleeve.

From the supplier side, this kind of regulatory ambiguity is what stalls some commercial deals. Clubs must balance fan sentiment, league policy, and financial needs in real time.

The Bottom Line
Clubs like Everton are threading the needle between the incoming 2026/27 front-of-shirt ban and the need for substantial commercial income. The CMC Markets front-of-shirt move and Stake sleeve continuation show a pragmatic split that preserves visibility for both partners while appearing to comply with the new rules. Industry executives should watch how the Illegal Gambling Taskforce consultation evolves and whether further restrictions on unlicensed sponsors follow. With PSR pressures persisting, expect more creative structuring around permitted sponsorship categories. The test will be whether these arrangements deliver measurable value without inviting fresh regulatory or fan backlash ahead of the 2026/27 season.