Unlicensed gambling companies could lose the right to sponsor Premier League clubs under new government plans. Ministers launched a consultation after a series of controversies and regulatory failures.
Several top-flight teams, including Everton, Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers, currently display logos of online casinos or bookmakers without British licences. Clubs have already agreed to remove all front-of-shirt gambling sponsors after this season. The voluntary ban will not cover sleeve deals or other partnerships.
This gap allows overseas operators to keep marketing through English football if they avoid British customers. The government now wants to close that route with a full prohibition on unlicensed firms.
Ministers warned that some of these companies operate under weak safeguards that fail to protect vulnerable gamblers. They also raised concerns about links to organised crime.
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy said it is wrong for unlicensed operators to promote themselves through major clubs while ignoring UK regulatory standards.
Everton’s agreement with Stake, reportedly worth £10m a year, has drawn the most scrutiny. The company previously held a UK licence but faced questions over cryptocurrency betting and controversial online promotions. It later surrendered its licence but continues to sponsor the club.
Many of these firms entered the market through the Isle of Man-based white-label provider TGP Europe. Regulators fined the company £3.3m for anti-money-laundering failures and ordered it to improve checks on partners. TGP has since left the British market.
Its departure means several current sponsors no longer hold licences to operate in Great Britain. A total ban would block them from sleeve sponsorships and other commercial deals that remain possible under the clubs’ voluntary front-of-shirt restriction.
