Entain Wants UKIPO to Make Changes to Trademark Rights Process

Entain Group has requested for the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to review its trademark registration process, with the operator claiming to have identified at least 14 unlicensed operators that had been granted trademark rights.

Entain’s General Counsel and Chief Customer Care Officer Simon Zinger wrote a letter to IPO Chief Executive and Comptroller-General Adam Williams, alleging operators offering their services to UK-based players have been able to secure trademarks, despite not having obtained a license from regulator the Gambling Commission.

Brands based outside the UK

According to Entain, the Ladbrokes and Coral owner has reviewed a sample of 18 gambling brands it believes to be serving UK players without a Gambling Commission license, and 14 operators that did not hold a valid operating license. A number of the brands Entain listed are based in jurisdictions such as Curacao and Comoros.

The IPO is the official government body responsible for granting and managing intellectual property rights. The body can examine, approve or reject applications for trademarks, patents and designs.

Zinger said:

“The UK trademark register is currently accessible to operators providing gambling services to UK consumers without a Gambling Commission operating license. Operating gambling facilities in Great Britain without a license is a criminal offence under section 33 of the Gambling Act 2005.

“Despite this, entities committing that offence can nonetheless register UK trademarks, acquire the commercial legitimacy that registration confers, and use the UK’s trademark registration system to sustain operations that parliament has expressly prohibited.”

What does Entain want to change?

Among the reforms proposed by Entain was a review into existing public policy provisions within trademark law which could be applied to applicants whose intended commercial activity would be illegal under the terms of the Gambling Act. Entain also proposed a change to the system where operators would have to provide evidence of a valid Gambling Commission license before a trademark could be registered.

In a separate suggestion, Zinger suggested the Companies Act 2006 could be updated, potentially making it a requirement for Companies House to not register an unregulated gaming company, stating: “The UKIPO’s role would be to verify the license number against the Commission’s public register and refuse registration in its absence.”

Zinger added:

“The UK’s intellectual property system is rightly regarded as one of the best in the world. It would be a significant anomaly if that system continued, inadvertently, to extend its protections to operators who have placed themselves outside the law that governs the sector in which they operate.”

IPO’s response

Williams responded to the letter, denying that Companies House requires prior approval from regulators before a trademark has been registered. Williams wrote:

“The assessment of whether a mark is contrary to public policy, or whether its registration is prohibited in law, relates to the intrinsic properties of the mark itself. This does not involve an assessment of the actions of the applicant or how the mark is used.”

Entain making itself heard

Entain has been active in calling for measures to combat the black market recently. In February, Entain CEO Stella David wrote to the English Premier League calling for a ban on unlicensed gambling operators from appearing on its teams’ shirts.

From the start of the 2026/27 season, which begins in August, the Premier League will implement a voluntary ban on front-of-shirt sponsorships for gambling operators, but gambling partners can still appear on teams’ sleeves.