Entain has reiterated its call for an immediate ban on sports sponsorship agreements with unlicensed gambling operators in the UK. In a press release issued on Friday, the owner of Ladbrokes and Coral urged the government to swiftly address this issue following a consultation by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) that concluded recently.
This recent consultation, which took place from July 15 to September 9, followed an initial review in February. However, Entain has expressed concern that the current timeline for implementing a ban, slated for August 2027, allows unlicensed operators to sponsor Premier League clubs for another full season.
Currently, Premier League clubs face a prohibition on gambling front-of-shirt sponsorships thanks to a voluntary ban set to take effect at the start of the 2026-27 season. Despite this, Entain’s findings reveal that 11 of the league's 20 clubs maintain sponsorship or advertising arrangements with unlicensed operators, surpassing the government’s estimate of eight.
These arrangements include sleeve sponsorships, stadium branding, and training kits. Notably, just last week, Sunderland announced a multi-year partnership with Shuffle, a crypto casino and sports betting platform that does not hold a UK operating license. In addition, Everton continues to feature Stake on its sleeve despite the company halting its UK operations in early 2025 amid an investigation by the Gambling Commission regarding its advertising practices.
Other clubs with connections to unlicensed operators include Chelsea (with 8XBet), Tottenham Hotspur (VSBet), and Nottingham Forest (FUN88).
Entain highlighted data from H2 Gambling Capital indicating that black market stakes within the UK are projected to nearly double, rising from £17 billion ($22.7 billion) in 2025 to over £33 billion by 2028. The company stressed that offshore operators lack the player protection measures and anti-money laundering standards that licensed entities are required to uphold.
Research conducted by Entain revealed that over 80% of consumers are not able to clearly differentiate between licensed and unlicensed operators. Entain’s CEO, Stella David, urged the government to enact the ban immediately, emphasizing that clubs were already aware of the impending changes.
"Premier League clubs that have struck new deals with unlicensed gambling operators knew the risks," she noted. "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."
Furthermore, Entain's data suggests that 22% of consumers utilizing unlicensed operators first encountered them through social media, with 13% encountering them via sponsorship. As a result, Entain has urged that the ban extend to include both online and digital advertising, in addition to physical promotions.
