Entain In Fresh Gambling Sponsor Call As DCMS Finishes Consultation

Entain has once again urged Premier League clubs to immediately end their affiliation with unlicensed gambling sponsors. The Ladbrokes and Coral owner wrote to 10 top-flight clubs after discovering deals were in place with bookies that aren’t regulated by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC).

The timing of their appeal was intriguing as it arrived on the eve of the closure of an eight-week consultation phase held by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) over government plans to prohibit sponsorship agreements with rogue operators.

Changing face of gambling sponsorships

From the start of this season, the Premier League implemented a voluntary ban, stopping clubs from promoting UKGC-approved betting sites from appearing on the front of shirts. Although gambling sleeve sponsors are permitted, clubs have been a bit more canny with their front-of-shirt approach, turning to fintech and travel companies instead.

Interestingly, the number of clubs collaborating with unlicensed gambling companies rose from six to 10 over the summer. Entain has championed the cause to root out unlicensed sponsorship deals, and it backed the consultations held by the DCMS, where they fielded calls for all digital assets linking clubs to rogue betting sites to be culled.

One unlicensed company, 8xBet, has affiliations with Chelsea, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Coventry, and Aston Villa. Entain has taken issue with the Asia-facing site as players in the UK can sign up to the casino and sportsbook by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) and place a bet within minutes.

Andy Burnham dragged into Everton grievance

Everton, which relegated Stake to its sleeve sponsor over the summer, has been seized upon by campaigners as the UK Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, a Toffees fan, has been spotted at games. And in a letter addressed to Everton’s CEO, Angus Kinnear, Entain articulated their reservations about such an arrangement, as Burnham’s antipathy towards the gambling sector is well documented.

The letter read: “Everton’s association with Stake is particularly at odds with the Prime Minister’s longstanding support of 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 and lack of player protection.”

Black market views undimmed

At the heart of Entain’s desire for unlicensed gambling sponsors to be quashed has been the unrelenting rise of the black market. Unregulated betting has taken hold in the UK, and for this season, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has forecasted that £800 million could be wagered on the Premier League.

This figure, the BGC have claimed, could rise to £1 billion for the 2027/28 season, which is significant, because, as of April 2027, general betting duty paid on online sports bets will be bumped up from 15% to 25% of gross gambling yield (GGY). The BGC, separately, have also routinely stipulated that the black market doesn’t offer consumers the same level of protection offered by regulated sites.

Entain not backing off

Entain have been unyielding in their views, and it is the third time this year where they have written to the Premier League or member clubs urging them to abandon deals with unlicensed gambling sponsors.

In the meantime, Entain will eagerly await responses to their letters and they will be on tenterhooks to hear what comes from the DCMS consultation.