UK Sport: Call for Immediate Closure of Unlicensed Gambling Sponsorship Loophole
Entain has issued the following Press Release on 18 September 2026:
Entain calls for immediate closure of unlicensed gambling sponsorship loophole in UK sport
Call made in response to consultation issued by the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport on banning all unlicensed gambling sponsorship in UK sport
Entain, the global sports betting and gaming group, is urging the Government to act immediately to ban unlicensed gambling operators from sponsoring British sport, warning that the timelines proposed in a recent consultation[i] would allow Premier League clubs to promote illegal market operators for another season. The intervention comes as independent analysis forecasts UK staking with unlicensed operators nearly doubling from £17 billion (around €19.8 billion) in 2025 to more than £33 billion (around €38.4 billion) by 2028.
Entain’s research has identified that 11 of the 20 Premier League clubs now have sponsorship or advertising arrangements with gambling operators that do not hold a Gambling Commission licence, up from the Government’s own estimate of 8 clubs in the 2025/26 season. New deals have been announced even after the Government made clear its intention to ban such arrangements, with Sunderland A.F.C. entering a new deal with Curaçao-based Shuffle in the last week. The other clubs in question are: Everton (Stake.com); Fulham (SBOTOP); Chelsea (8XBet); Tottenham Hotspur (VSBet); Ipswich Town (8XBet); Nottingham Forest (FUN88); Crystal Palace (Chexx.bet); Coventry City (8XBet); Aston Villa (8XBet) and Newcastle United (8XBet).
The sponsorship deals involve a range of promotional assets, from shirt sleeves to training kits, stadium branding and perimeter boards. The branding typically features in match-day TV coverage, including replays on the BBC’s Match of the Day.
Entain’s submission to the consultation underscores that unlicensed gambling operators do not meet extensive consumer-protection regulations, anti-money laundering standards and tax obligations required of regulated firms. Restricting sponsorship to licensed operators would also prevent British sport from being used to legitimise brands operating outside the perimeter of UK financial crime controls.
Premier League clubs that have struck new deals with unlicensed gambling operators knew the risks. The Government made clear in February that it would bring in a ban and it should do so immediately: even if that means clubs ordering new kit mid-season. Inconvenience is not an excuse for inaction.
Entain's own research suggests over 80% (four in five) of consumers cannot confidently distinguish licensed operators from unlicensed, underlining the risk that sponsorship by unlicensed brands confers unearned credibility on operators that sit outside the UK's consumer protection framework - including GAMSTOP, deposit and spending limits, and affordability checks.
Entain is also calling for the ban to cover online and digital advertising. Evidence cited in the Government's own consultation shows that 22% of consumers who use unlicensed operators first encountered them through social media or social-media advertising, compared with 13% through sponsorship. Entain warns that restricting the ban to physical advertising risks simply shifting the problem online.
Website: https://www.entaingroup.com
