Exclusive: Big update on controversial off-field Crystal Palace deal

Crystal Palace are unlikely to see their sponsorship deal with NET88 blocked despite the controversy surrounding the agreement, sources have told Football Insider.

The Premier League club announced the Vietnamese betting company as their front-of-shirt sponsor in a record two-year deal on 12 June.

The deal saw Palace become the latest top-flight side to sign up to a sponsorship agreement with a gambling firm ahead of the upcoming campaign.

The London club have, however, come under fire following the announcement of the deal after Josimar reported on 5 July that NET88 is an “illegal Vietnamese betting operator appearing to offer gambling on blood sports” – but the company has since denied those claims.

Sources have told Football Insider Palace will have done a level of due diligence on the sponsor and it would be a “very costly exercise” for the Premier League to try and unwind the deal.

Oliver Glasner’s side have already launched their new shirts for the upcoming campaign, featuring NET88 as their primary sponsor.

Crystal Palace one of several clubs to agree gambling sponsorship

There is currently no system in place whereby the Premier League checks on the morals of a sponsor after clubs have agreed deals.

But top-flight sides will no longer be able to sign up to front-of-shirt sponsorships with gambling firms from the 2026-27 season after they collectively agreed to withdraw from such deals last year.

Seven Premier League clubs were sponsored by betting companies last season and that figure is set to rise to 10 ahead of the upcoming campaign.

The Premier League, EFL, FA and WSL announced on 24 July a new code of conduct for gambling-related agreements within football for the 2024-25 season.

The code is designed to regulate gambling sponsorships across the game, with the revenue generated from such deals to be redirected into football-related infrastructure and community programmes.

Finance expert Stefan Borson told Football Insider there are doubts over which companies will fill the void once the ban on gambling sponsorships comes into force.

The difficulties around landing a lucrative deal with a blue-chip company are already on show at Chelsea, with the club at risk of starting next season with no front-of-shirt sponsor for a second successive campaign after their deal with Infinite Athlete has expired.