Unlicensed gambling companies could lose the right to sponsor Premier League clubs under new government plans. Ministers have launched a consultation after a series of controversies and regulatory concerns.
Several top-flight teams, including Everton, Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers, currently display brands linked to online casinos or bookmakers without a British licence. Clubs have already agreed to remove all front-of-shirt gambling sponsors from next season. That voluntary move will not cover sleeve deals or other partnerships.
This gap allows offshore operators to keep marketing through English football if they avoid British customers. The government now wants to close that route with a full ban.
Ministers warned that some unlicensed firms follow weak regulatory standards and fail to protect vulnerable gamblers. They also raised concerns about possible links to organised crime.
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy said it was wrong for unlicensed operators to promote themselves through major clubs. She argued that such exposure could steer fans towards unsafe platforms.
Everton’s partnership with Stake.com has drawn the most scrutiny. The deal is reportedly worth £10m a year. The company previously held a UK licence but faced criticism over cryptocurrency betting, which British rules prohibit.
Everton later told Stake to stop using club branding in a high-value betting promotion because of problem-gambling fears. The firm surrendered its UK licence after a Gambling Commission investigation into its social media marketing. Despite that, it remains the club’s main sponsor.
Many of these companies entered the market through TGP Europe, a white-label provider based in the Isle of Man. Regulators fined the company £3.3m for anti-money-laundering failures and poor checks on partners. It has since withdrawn from the British market.
Its exit means several current sponsors no longer hold a licence to operate in Great Britain. A total ban would also block sleeve sponsorships and other commercial links that would otherwise continue.
