Sunderland AFC has agreed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Shuffle, putting the crypto gambling company on the club’s shirts as its new sleeve partner.
The agreement makes Shuffle Casino the Sunderland sleeve sponsor for the 2026/27 season. The branding will appear across the club’s Premier League matches, domestic cup games and Europa League campaign.
The deal replaces LiveScore Bet, which held the sleeve position during Sunderland’s previous season. The new partnership gives Shuffle Casino a high-profile platform as Sunderland continues its return to the Premier League and European football.
The agreement has attracted attention because Shuffle does not hold a licence from the UK Gambling Commission. Reports state that the company operates under a Curaçao licence. It therefore cannot offer gambling services directly to consumers in Great Britain without the required UK authorisation.
The Gambling Commission has warned sports organisations about sponsorship agreements involving unlicensed gambling operators. Clubs must make sure consumers in Great Britain cannot access the operators’ gambling services. The regulator also expects clubs to carry out proper checks on their commercial partners and manage legal and reputational risks.
The Shuffle Casino deal comes as the UK government considers new restrictions on this type of sponsorship. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport opened a consultation in July on plans to prevent unlicensed gambling operators from sponsoring British sports teams. The consultation has now closed, with the government still considering the next steps.
The government says current rules can allow gambling businesses without a UK licence to enter sponsorship agreements if their services remain blocked in Great Britain.
The proposed changes would remove this route for unlicensed operators. If introduced, the rules could have a direct effect on sponsorship agreements across English football.
The sponsorship comes during a wider debate about gambling advertising in the Premier League. Clubs cannot place gambling logos on the front of their shirts from the 2026 - 2027 season. Gambling brands can still appear on sleeves under the current rules.
The Shuffle crypto casino partnership could face a different regulatory environment if ministers introduce the proposed restrictions. An operator without a UK licence could then be prevented from using British sports sponsorships as a marketing channel.
For now, the Sunderland sleeve sponsor agreement operates under the existing framework. Sunderland and its commercial partner must still meet the rules governing gambling advertising and ensure that unlicensed gambling services remain inaccessible to consumers in Great Britain.
The Shuffle Casino partnership has therefore put Sunderland at the center of a wider discussion about gambling, football and regulation. The Shuffle crypto casino deal may remain commercially valuable to both sides, but its future could depend on the government’s final decision on unlicensed gambling sponsorships.
The Sunderland sleeve sponsorship deal shows that football advertisements are shifting. Lately, regulators have been looking at stricter rules. That means clubs and betting brands have less clarity about how they can get their names seen in British sport.
