FIFA Circular 1938, released on 08/01/2025, has determined the prohibition of sports betting companies from advertising with referees and the VAR, in an effort to increase credibility in the sport.
Many countries (especially England) are discussing the possibility of banning betting advertising on football club shirts. Will this become a reality?
The full document is on the FIFA official documents page, at: https://inside.fifa.com/official-documents
Below are the translated highlights:
“During matches organised under the jurisdiction of a member association, sponsor advertising may be authorised for the shirts worn by match officials. All advertising for tobacco-related products, alcoholic beverages, narcotics (e.g., marijuana) or gambling establishments (casinos or betting companies) is strictly prohibited. Any slogans of a political, racist or religious nature are also forbidden.
During matches utilising VAR, advertising is also permitted inside the video operations room (VOR) and on the monitor stand in the referee review area (RRA). This must follow the requirements listed in paragraph 1.
Such measures help to protect not only match officials, but also the credibility and integrity of our game.
If you have any questions in relation to the above, please do not hesitate to contact Jan Kleiner, Director of Football Regulatory, at regulatory@fifa.org, or Patrick Graf, Head of Refereeing Administration, at Patrick.Graf@fifa.org.”