'Any sector such as alcohol, fast food or gambling will be looking at increasing restrictions,' said Nigel Currie, chairman of the European Sponsorship Association.
Football clubs with gaming brands as shirt sponsors include Tottenham Hotspur (Mansion) and Middlesbrough (888.com).
The ban will affect numerous clubs, including Liverpool (Carlsberg), Everton (Chang Beer) and Scottish Premier League clubs Rangers and Celtic (both Carling). The ban covers any new or renewed tie-up agreed after 1 January 2008. This means that Liverpool will not be affected for three years, having renewed its deal with Danish brewer Carlsberg last month. However, insiders say that the club may remove the brand' logo from children's shirts voluntarily if consumers demand it.
Children's county cricket products will be affected by the ban, with Surrey, Kent, Gloucestershire and Essex among the clubs tied in to shirt sponsorships with alcohol brands.
In Rugby Union, three of the 12 Guinness Premiership clubs will be affected - Bath (Blackthorn), London Irish (Guinness) and Heineken Cup winners London Wasps (Magners).
Clubs will also be prevented from putting the logo of league sponsor Guinness on children's replica kit. A spokesman for the Portman Group confirmed that the ban reaches beyond replica shirts to encompass any merchandise targeting children.
The Portman Group's actions could be viewed as a preventative measure to avoid a blanket ban on alcohol advertising on sports apparel, as is the case in France. 'We asked ourselves is there anything that could be criticised?' said a spokesman. 'This was a loophole that needed looking at.'
The Football Association is concerned that the ban could lead to more fake replica shirts on the market, taking money out of the game.
The Portman Group will introduce the next phase of its consultation on sports sponsorship on 19 June.
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