The Hundred cricket tournament will allow gambling logos on team shirts this season after multiple franchises failed to secure commercial partners in time.
The England and Wales Cricket Board had previously opposed betting sponsorship because the tournament was designed for a family audience.
That stance has now been softened under pressure from the eight competing teams, with the relaxation approved for a single year only.
Three teams remained without front-of-shirt sponsors less than two weeks before the competition was due to begin, with others also close to missing out.
The Hundred Board approved betting partnerships for 2026 subject to a set of restrictions, with gambling branding prohibited from team kits again from 2027 onwards.
Teams must treat betting companies as a last resort and any arrangement must meet a minimum commercial value threshold before approval.
Only one-year agreements will be permitted under the temporary code, limiting the long-term commercial footprint of gambling brands within the tournament.
Players will be able to request shirts without gambling logos for personal reasons, while under-18 players will automatically receive unbranded versions.
Children’s replica kits will also exclude betting branding, and venue promotions will face additional limits under the new sponsorship code.
Commercial responsibility across the tournament has shifted from the ECB to individual teams following private investment, which includes shirt sponsorship previously arranged centrally.
KP Snacks had filled the main sponsorship space during the tournament’s first five seasons under an agreement worth around £4m over that period, with the brand continuing in 2026 in less prominent positions.
When new kits were unveiled in June, only MI London, London Spirit and Birmingham Phoenix displayed front-of-shirt sponsors, with partners Sokin, Barclays and Skechers respectively.
Two more teams have since reached agreements, with some deals involving businesses already connected to the franchises’ existing investors.
The Hundred’s difficulties arrive as English football undergoes its own major sponsorship transformation, adding further competition to an already strained market.
Premier League clubs agreed to remove gambling brands from shirt fronts from the 2026-27 season, though betting companies can still appear on sleeves and in other locations.
Nine Premier League clubs were reportedly without front-of-shirt sponsors in April, with several replacement deals offering significantly lower commercial values than outgoing betting partners.
The potential revenue gap across the Premier League has been estimated at around £80m, with smaller clubs facing the greatest financial exposure given how generously betting firms historically paid.
The government is also separately considering restrictions on sponsorship by gambling businesses without British licences, adding another layer of uncertainty to the sector.
The Hundred’s one-year compromise therefore runs against the broader direction of UK sport, but for franchises facing blank shirts, the immediate commercial cost made the decision unavoidable.
