The Aston Villa Supporters' Trust (AVST) warned on Thursday that Aston Villa's new front-of-shirt sponsorship arrangement with an online betting company is a "cynical attempt" at financial gain and disregards concerns about gambling sponsorship in sports.


Prior to the end of the 2025–26 season, when Premier League clubs will remove gambling sponsorships from the front of their matchday shirts, Villa has committed to a relationship with Asian online betting company BK8.


After three days, Norwich City's sponsorship agreement with BK8 was canceled due to outcry from fans regarding its sexualized marketing materials featuring young ladies.



"Though we acknowledge the commercial reality, we sadly feel the club has failed to listen to the legitimate concerns of fans about the role of gambling sponsorship in sports," AVST said in a statement.


"The BK8 agreement is a cynical last-minute attempt to scoop the financial gains ahead of the voluntary ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsors.


"While we understand fans, players and club staff alike want Villa to be as successful as possible, that should not come at the expense of exposing fans to the exploitative practices of gambling operators, especially during a cost-of-living crisis."


Every time Villa's third jersey is sold, BK8 will donate a portion of the proceeds to a Birmingham-area charity, the team stated in a statement announcing the agreement.


"The move comes off the back of BK8's previous work over the past two years, working with charities and programmes involving mental health awareness, and this initiative is the first of what will be a number of collaborations with the club," Villa added.


AVST said they welcomed the funding but added "it should not come at the expense of others".


The supporters' club added it had highlighted the social and mental harms caused by gambling addiction and expressed concerns about BK8's "misogynistic" marketing practices in a joint statement with Villa fan groups in January.


"At the time, we were given assurances of the club's due diligence process and advised that the misogynistic practices were that of a BK8 affiliate," AVST said.


Reuters has contacted Aston Villa and BK8 for comment.