As the UK government moves closer to deciding whether to prohibit sponsorship agreements with gambling firms that lack a British license, a growing number of Premier League clubs could find themselves exposed to significant commercial disruption. The issue has intensified following the conclusion of a government consultation examining whether sports teams should be allowed to maintain relationships with betting operators that are not authorized to operate in the UK.
According to recent analysis published by The Guardian, 10 of the Premier League’s 20 clubs currently have sponsorship or advertising arrangements involving unlicensed gambling companies. The figure has increased from six clubs earlier in the year, highlighting the growing presence of overseas-facing betting brands within English football.
The debate has drawn strong opposition from licensed operators, including Entain, the parent company of Ladbrokes and Coral, which has renewed its campaign against such partnerships.
Entain Expands Pressure Campaign Against Clubs
Entain confirmed that it has written to 10 clubs connected to gambling operators without UK licenses, urging them to reconsider these relationships before new regulations potentially come into force.
The company’s latest intervention follows an earlier effort launched in May 2026 and sustained throughout the summer, when Entain General Counsel Simon Zinger contacted six Premier League clubs—Burnley, Bournemouth, Fulham, Everton, Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers—calling on them to “commit to only using UK-licensed gambling sponsors next season”.
In its most recent outreach, Entain identified sponsorship agreements involving Fulham, Everton, Ipswich Town, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Coventry City, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace.
One operator has attracted particular attention. Entain noted that 8XBet currently maintains partnerships with Aston Villa, Chelsea, Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Newcastle United. The company also highlighted several concerns surrounding the bookmaker’s accessibility.
An Entain representative said: “In a controlled test yesterday, I was able to open an account within five minutes using details in the name of Andy Burnham while connected through a VPN appearing to be in Vietnam, and reach the point of depositing with cryptocurrency. I have screenshots documenting the journey.
The material also shows how 8XBet directs users around the normal app-store route via TestFlight. Its app contains imagery of major football stars and current Premier League players, apparently drawing on club sponsorship assets despite the operator not being licensed in Great Britain.
We believe this raises serious questions about whether the supposed separation between “Asia-only” sponsorships and UK consumers works in practice.
The central issue is that clubs are lending trusted Premier League brands to operators that can apparently still be accessed through straightforward workarounds, even as the Government consults on making such commercial relationships unlawful. I am sure the Gambling Commission and DCMS will have a response if asked on this new finding.”
Government Consultation Nears Decision Point
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s consultation on unlicensed gambling sponsorships closed this week, with the government reportedly considering legislation that would ban clubs from promoting operators that do not hold UK licenses.
Licensed bookmakers argue that such firms avoid regulatory obligations that apply to approved operators. These requirements include affordability assessments, spending controls and participation in Gamstop self-exclusion schemes.
The government’s interest in tightening rules follows the growth of the unregulated market. Data from the Campaign for Fairer Gambling indicated that unlicensed operators generated £379 million from UK users during the first half of 2025. That represented 9% of Britain’s £8.2 billion online gambling market, compared with 2% in 2022.
Campaigners and regulators have linked the expansion of unlicensed gambling to consumer harm, gambling addiction and financial difficulties.
The Premier League, however, is understood to be resisting a blanket ban. League officials reportedly argue that many of the operators involved primarily target customers in overseas markets and do not directly offer services in the UK.
Everton Partnership Draws Particular Scrutiny
Among the sponsorship agreements attracting attention is Everton’s relationship with crypto casino Stake.com. The club recently announced a three-year sleeve sponsorship arrangement with the operator after the Premier League’s voluntary ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships came into effect.
Entain’s Group Deputy General Counsel, Charles Kovats, directly addressed Everton Chief Executive Angus Kinnear in a letter urging the club to reconsider the partnership.
The letter stated that Stake “is currently functioning as an implicit stamp of legitimacy for a gambling company that has no social, economic or ethical interest in the UK’s welfare or prosperity nor a legal basis to operate in the UK”.
Kovats also wrote: “Everton’s association with Stake.com is particularly at odds with the Prime Minister’s longstanding support for the club. It seems unimaginable that, having made his government’s opposition to unlicensed gambling agreements clear, Andy Burnham would become a billboard for unregulated gaming by wearing the club’s current strip.
Stake’s heavy reliance on cryptocurrency and its history of operating in grey jurisdictions make it a lightning rod for concerns regarding money laundering and lack of player protection.
Its rapid rise has been fueled by an unregulated streamer culture that specifically targets the younger demographics that your “Everton in the Community” programs seek to protect.
As the Government’s consultation draws to a close on September 9th, I would urge Everton to rethink its commitment to a promotional agreement that could be a criminal offence in less than twelve months’ time.”
Alongside concerns about player protection, critics have also pointed to links between unlicensed gambling advertising and illegal sports streaming. Research cited by the Campaign for Fairer Gambling found that 89% of illegal sports streams in the UK carried advertisements for black-market bookmakers. The organization argues that football sponsorship remains one of the most effective ways for these operators to build awareness among consumers.