Bally’s Corporation is the new front of shirt sponsor for English Premier League (EPL) football club Nottingham Forest.
The deal will run for the entirety of the 2025-26 season but will not be allowed to extend beyond that due to an existing agreement reached between all EPL clubs that front of shirt sponsorship by gambling companies should be banned by the start of next term.
Nottingham Forest confirmed that club owner Evangelos Marinakis had been the “driving force” behind securing the sponsorship deal.
The new shirt is due to make its debut in this evening’s international friendly with Italian Serie A club Fiorentina at Forest’s City Ground.
Who Are Bally’s Corporation?
Bally’s Corporation operates a host of entertainment business, including land-based casinos and digital gaming enterprises that include Bally Bet, a first-in-class sports betting platform, Bally Casino, an online casino and Bally’s Interactive International division (formerly Gamesys Group), a leading global interactive gaming operator.
The terms of the partnership will see the Bally’s Corporation logo appear across the men’s first-team shirts and around the City Ground on match days, beginning with their opening Premier League fixture at home to Brentford on Sunday, August 17.
Bally’s Corporation CEO, Robeson Reeves, said: “Bally’s has always been dedicated to delivering exceptional entertainment, from our renowned resort destinations to our popular gaming platforms.
“Partnering with Nottingham Forest, an iconic club with a proud history and passionate fanbase, is a natural fit for us.
“We’re excited to bring our global brand to the Premier League stage, introduce new audiences to the club, and collaborate on initiatives that make a meaningful impact both locally and internationally.
“On behalf of everyone at Bally’s, we wish the Reds every success for the season ahead.”
Forest owner Marinakis said: “I would like to welcome Bally’s Corporation to the Forest family.
“We are on a special journey – we are determined to keep achieving incredible things and strengthening our global partnerships is an important part of this.
“As our Club continues to thrive both on and off the pitch, we’re looking forward to working with Bally’s on a number of exciting initiatives, helping us to engage with our growing fanbase within Nottinghamshire and around the world.”
Nottingham Forest March Into Europe
Nottingham Forest won promotion to England’s top division via the Championship play-offs in 2022 and this will be a pivotal season as the club is returning to European competition for the first time since 1996.
Manager Nuno Espirito Santo and his team defied early predictions of relegation last season by finishing seventh in the Premier League, gaining an automatic spot in the UEFA Conference League for 2025-26.
Forest may still take the place of FA Cup winners Crystal Palace in the Europa League, should the London club fail in its appeal against a demotion to the Conference League this coming season, for breaching UEFA’s multiclub ownership rule.
At present it looks likely that the Premier League clubs will swap places in the UEFA competitions.
The last time that Forest entered Europe was in 1995-96 where they got to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup before being knocked out by Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, 7-2 on aggregate.
In preparation for what could prove to be a stellar season, Forest have retained the services of star midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.
The England international had been the subject of a £60-million bid from EPL rivals Tottenham Hotspur but he has subsequently signed a new three-year deal tying him to the City Ground.
Forest have also been active in the summer transfer market, securing the services of £34 million Swiss international winger Dan Ndoye from Bologna.
Jim Munro is a betting industry and gambling expert who has been a national newspaper journalist for over 30 years, predominantly at The Sunday Times and The Sun, where he wrote a weekly soccer betting column. Jim also worked on the launch of Virgin Bet with Gamesys and was subsequently head of editorial at LiveScore, the sports media and betting group.
