The new kit for the return to the Premier League in the 2024/25 season has not yet been announced, but the sponsors who will be front and centre already have and it's another gambling company.

Southampton FC have revealed that their new main shirt sponsor for 2024/25, it is Rollbit.

Described as an innovator in the world of online gaming and entertainment, they are a company launched in 2020.

The official press release goes on to say that the company has grown to have a huge global presence, with recent partnerships including the likes of Serie A giants Napoli and with the world’s most subscribed esports gaming team, FaZe Clan, who have over 8.5million subscribers on YouTube alone.

Greg Baker, Chief Revenue Officer for Southampton Football Club said:

“We’re pleased to welcome Rollbit, a leader in the online gaming space, into the Saints family as our Official Front of Shirt Partner. This partnership marks a dynamic fusion of technology and sport, at an exciting time for the club as we embark on our journey back in the Premier League. Together, we look forward to creating unforgettable moments for our fans.”

Sam Norman, Head of Partnerships for Rollbit said:

“Rollbit is delighted to announce its latest partnership with Southampton FC following on from their incredible win in the playoff final. We feel Southampton is the perfect club to embark on this journey with as we look to continue to expand our presence globally with one of the Premier League’s most respected teams. We believe in the vision of the club that embodies our commitment to innovation and excellence and look forward to cheering on with Saints fans everywhere in this exciting next chapter for Southampton.”

But it might be a short partnership with every recent deal between gambling operators and football sides coming ahead of a voluntary ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships set to be placed on Premier League clubs at the end of the 2025/26 season.

Upon announcing the upcoming front-of-shirt sponsorship ban, former Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer stated:

“The vast majority of adults gamble safely but we have to recognise that footballers are role models who have an enormous influence on young people. We want to work with institutions like the Premier League to do the right thing for young fans.”

Photo: Action Images

WoolstonSaint2 added 18:20 - Jul 15 Boooooo! Surely there must be a more moral business out there willing to sponsor Saints for serious cash?
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WestSussexSaint added 18:29 - Jul 15 Welcome back to the Premier League where above all else cash is king. Morals have nothing to do with it.
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highfield49 added 18:41 - Jul 15 Too much to hope that the new shirt sponsor would have a more ethical background and not be associated with the social harm attached to the gambling industry. I know that virtually every potential sponsor is likely to have some problems with any number of ethical issues but I certainly don't want to buy a shirt with a Rollbit logo.
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Jellybaby added 19:25 - Jul 15 Nothing to add, how totally disappointing .
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DellBoyWally added 19:36 - Jul 15 I bet they won't last long!! Ha, the old one's are the best
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YosemiteSaint added 20:17 - Jul 15 In a sports world that's flush with cash, it nevertheless feels as if the financial frontiers everywhere are in online gambling. There's an "easy" way to get gambling companies' names off of clubs' shirts: just stop gambling. This approach makes sense of me—but my addictions are other than gambling, so it's an easy call.
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Crispinmumbles added 23:00 - Jul 15 Why is it that whenever someone squeezes the words 'dynamic' and 'fusion' into the same sentence, I automatically think what a c**t?
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SaintPaulVW added 11:20 - Jul 16 Sadly, no business is going to turn down extra cash. The sooner the new law comes in, the better.
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Avior added 16:47 - Jul 17 The more you dig into Rollbit the worse it gets. Red flags everywhere. 1)Owned by Bull Gaming NV registered in Curacao (a Dutch tax "evasion" haven. 2)They cannot trade in most major territories because they would not pass the application processes in any well regulated market. 3)They own a very volatile cryptocurrency and generally encourage crypto as a means of payment and receipt of winnings which is not illegal but injects a whole new level of risk. 4) The founder has a very chequered track record including fraud. 5) There are no individual names associated with the company, they all use twitter handles. 6) Naff logo Surely we could have done better. Hope the Saints are not being paid in crypto!

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