Everton switches Stake to sleeve sponsor

• Stake moves from the front of the shirt to the sleeve as Everton’s Official Sleeve Partner from 2026/27.
• CMC Markets signs as Everton’s new front-of-shirt sponsor in a reported £30 million multi-year deal.
• Switch follows the Premier League’s voluntary ban on gambling brands in the front-of-shirt slot.

Everton Football Club has confirmed Stake as its new Official Sleeve Partner from the start of the 2026/27 season, under a multi-year agreement announced on 30 June 2026.

The deal ends Stake’s four-year run as the club’s main shirt sponsor. The switch comes as the Premier League’s voluntary ban on gambling branding in the front-of-shirt slot takes effect from 2026/27.

Financial services firm CMC Markets will take over that position under a separate multi-year agreement.

Moving to the sleeve

Stake has been Everton’s Main Partner since 2022, a period that covered the club’s move to its new Hill Dickinson Stadium and one of the most consequential stretches in its recent history.

Now, under the new arrangement, the Stake logo moves from the front of Everton’s shirt to the sleeve, a less visible placement. Stake will continue to appear across Everton’s matchday and digital channels, with branding at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Goodison Park and the Finch Farm training ground.

Previous activity has included UFC-led player content, F1 simulator experiences, fan giveaways and support for the Her Game Too campaign around the Merseyside derby.

Andrew Middleton, Everton’s President of Business Operations, said:

“Stake has been a major supporter of Everton over the past four seasons and this agreement reflects both the strength of our relationship and the continued growth of Everton’s commercial partnership portfolio.

“It also provides continuity with a partner that understands the Club, our supporters and the global reach of Everton Football Club. We are pleased to see our relationship with Stake evolve and look forward to continuing to work together across the coming seasons.”

Filling the front slot

CMC Markets, a FTSE 250 spread-betting and share-trading platform, is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority rather than the Gambling Commission. Its branding will appear on Everton’s men’s, women’s and under-21 kits from 2026/27.

The front-of-shirt gambling ban, agreed voluntarily by Premier League clubs in 2023, has left a number of top-flight sides scrambling to replace lucrative gambling partners. Everton’s approach shows one emerging model: retaining the commercial relationship by shifting gambling branding to a permitted slot.

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.

“Stake is built around sport, entertainment and culture. The partnerships we choose are deliberate, ambitious, built on innovation and a genuine connection to our global communities.”

Scrutiny still lingers

The agreement arrives months after the Gambling Commission wrote to Everton in early 2026, warning of risks linked to promoting unlicensed gambling websites and seeking assurances that UK consumers could not access Stake via a VPN.

Stake relinquished its UK gambling licence in March 2025, following a Commission investigation into an advert featuring adult performer Bonnie Blue.

DCMS has since launched a consultation on extending restrictions to cover unlicensed gambling operators in any form of football sponsorship, not just front-of-shirt deals. If that moves forward, arrangements such as Stake’s sleeve deal could come under fresh pressure.

Stake’s wider portfolio spans UFC, X Games, Street League Skateboarding, esports and cricket, backed by ambassadors including Alex Pereira, Max Holloway and former Premier League players Sergio Agüero, Patrice Evra and Eden Hazard.

Both parties have confirmed they will ensure all partnership activity complies with relevant regulations, industry standards and marketing requirements. How far regulators push back on that position, given the absence of a UK licence, may define how long this arrangement can run.