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 concerns.
Several top-flight teams, including Everton, Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers, currently display brands linked to online casinos without a British licence. Clubs have already agreed to remove all gambling sponsors from the front of shirts after this season. The voluntary move will not cover sleeves 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 ban on unlicensed sponsors.
Ministers warned that some of these firms operate under weak regulation and fail to protect vulnerable gamblers. They also raised concerns about possible links to organised crime. Culture secretary Lisa Nandy said it is wrong for such companies to promote themselves through major clubs.
Everton’s reported £10m-a-year deal with Stake has drawn the most attention. The company faced scrutiny over cryptocurrency betting while it still held a UK licence. The club later told Stake to remove its branding from a high-value betting promotion.
Stake surrendered its licence after a Gambling Commission investigation into its online marketing. Despite that move, it continues to sponsor Everton.
Many of the affected brands entered the market through TGP Europe, an Isle of Man-based white-label provider. Regulators fined the company £3.3m for anti-money laundering failures and poor checks on partners. TGP has since withdrawn from Britain, leaving several club sponsors without licences.
A total ban would block these companies from sleeve deals and other commercial links. Without new rules, those arrangements could continue even after the front-of-shirt ban begins next season.
