Why Nottingham Forest did not wear Kaiyun Sports logo on the shirt in 1-1 draw vs Sunderland

Nottingham Forest fans may have noticed the absence of the Kaiyun Sports logo in the recent friendly against Sunderland.

Jack Clarke’s penalty kick gave the Garibaldi the lead, but Omar Richards’ incredible goal sealed the victory even though Nottingham Forest’s shirt had no sponsors on it.

Why, then, was the Kaiyun Sports logo completely hidden? Let’s examine this.

Why Nottingham Forest was not permitted to wear the Kaiyun Sports logo against Sunderland

The Athletic now has a story explaining why Nottingham Forest refrained from wearing the Kaiyun Sports logo in their match against Sunderland.

According to reports, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace have received warnings about the sponsor because it does not adhere to the new code of conduct regarding gambling sponsorship that was announced on Wednesday by the Premier League, the Football Association, the English Football League, and the Women’s Super League.

Nottingham Forest has been informed that if the website becomes accessible to gamblers in the United Kingdom, they would be in violation of the law, as Kaiyun Sports is not authorised to conduct business in the country.

The Athletic also reports that Nottingham Forest feels good about their partnership with Kaiyun Sports because the betting website isn’t available in the UK, so the Reds don’t think they’re encouraging illegal gambling among Brits.
Nottingham Forest has also communicated with the Gambling Commission, and they are happy with the resolution of their discussions.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s team is still permitted to wear the Kaiyun Sports logo for the duration of the 2024–2025 campaign, but they were not permitted to do so when playing Sunderland because the friendly was played in Spain, a country with laws prohibiting gambling advertisements.

Reds will need a new sponsor soon anyway

For Nottingham Forest, Evangelos Marinakis will need to find a new sponsor soon, regardless of the current state of affairs with Kaiyun Sports.

Gambling sponsorships of any kind, including large logos on shirts or just a sleeve sponsor, will be prohibited beginning with the 2026–2027 season as the Premier League takes action.

Hopefully, following the financial problems from the previous season that resulted in four points being taken away, Nottingham Forest will not be adversely affected financially by this decision.