Entain CEO Says Potential Sponsorship Ban Should Cover Advertising

Entain has once again called for a ban on unlicensed operators sponsoring sporting events in the UK, with CEO Stella David stating this should be extended to cover online and digital advertising.

Last week, the UK government closed a consultation on the possibility of banning unlicensed gambling sponsorship in sport. The ban would come into effect on a fixed date in August 2027, before the start of the 2027/28 football season, and would apply to any new unlicensed operator advertising or sponsorship contracts following the introduction of the legislation.

Entain has been vocal before

Any pre-existing contracts would be allowed to conclude under their original terms until August 2028. In February, following the announcement of the consultation, David wrote to English Premier League CEO Richard Masters, welcoming the government’s announcement and urging the league to ensure the unlicensed brands cannot continue to sponsor teams in some form, even after a front-of-shirt ban came into effect.

From the start of this season, the names of gambling operators have been banned from appearing on the front of Premier League teams’ shirts, regardless of where the operators are based or licensed, as part of a voluntary ban introduced by the clubs. Gambling operators are still permitted to sponsor other, less visible parts of the kits, as well as training kits. They can also enter official gambling partnerships with clubs.

Call for extension of ban

In a new statement, David said:

“Entain’s own research suggests over 80% 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.”

A call to Premier League clubs

Earlier this month, David wrote to 10 Premier League clubs who are in some way affiliated with gambling brands that are unlicensed in the UK, and operate overseas. The number of Premier League teams falling into this category has since grown to 11, with Sunderland announcing last week a multi-year sleeve sponsorship with crypto operator Shuffle, which is unavailable to players in the UK.

The 10 clubs Entain wrote to included:

• Aston Villa – 8XBet
• Chelsea – 8XBet
• Coventry City – 8XBet
• Crystal Palace – Chexx.bet
• Everton – Stake
• Fulham – SBOTop
• Ipswich Town – 8XBet
• Newcastle United – 8XBet
• Nottingham Forest – Fun88
• Tottenham Hotspur – VSBet

A majority of the unlicensed operators partnered with Premier League clubs have official betting partnerships in place with clubs. While this means the brands would not appear on the teams’ shirts, the partnerships usually entail the operator’s brand being visible at the teams’ stadiums.

David pleads for MGD mercy

Earlier this week, David warned a doubling of the machine games duty rate to 40%, which could be announced in the Autumn Budget in October, could result in widespread betting shop closures and job losses.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, David wrote:

“They are people losing their jobs and communities losing long-established high-street businesses. These jobs matter. They matter particularly in communities where good local employment can be difficult to find.”