UK to crack down on unlicensed casinos sponsoring football teams

A $60B Vote of Confidence

The UK government's decision to launch a consultation to crack down on unlicensed casinos sponsoring British sports teams is a significant move that aims to protect consumers and prevent the exploitation of vulnerable individuals. The consultation comes after a landmark sponsorship deal between Everton FC and Stake.com, a crypto casino that has been at the centre of multiple controversies. Stake effectively surrendered its licence to operate in Britain last year, amid a regulatory review of practices, including apparent promotion of the brand by the porn actor Bonnie Blue. The deal has raised concerns that offshore gambling firms are taking advantage of a delay in proposals to kick unlicensed operators out of football. The government consultation will seek expert opinion on proposals to close the loophole that allows unlicensed casinos to sponsor British clubs. The long-awaited review comes a month after the Entain boss issued her warning to the government, in a letter seen by the Guardian. David said the delay 'raises the real and imminent risk of football clubs interpreting the absence of government action as a green light to enter into new sponsorship agreements for next season. These deals are surely now being finalised.' She called on the government to warn the Premier League that its member clubs' sponsorship agreements might be cancelled mid-season, if the consultation results in a ban. David also warned that some unlicensed casinos were illegally taking bets in the UK, claiming that they 'profit international criminal networks, deprive the Treasury of tax revenues and have a detrimental effect on the wellbeing of UK consumers, especially the most vulnerable.' Stake.com is one of the largest gambling companies in the world and there is no suggestion that David was referring to the company, or that it has committed any wrongdoing. The company did not return a request for comment. Stake was at the centre of multiple controversies before it finally left the UK last year when its 'white label' partner, TGP Europe, gave up its licence to operate. It came after the Gambling Commission launched an investigation into why Stake's branding appeared in a video shot by Bonnie Blue. In the video, Bonnie Blue boasted of a stunt in which she tried to have sex with 'barely legal 18-year-olds' in their first year at Nottingham Trent University. Stake's branding has also appeared on other viral videos on social media, including some featuring violence and other graphic images. Stake has previously told the Guardian that it did not consent to the use of its logo and branding by these content creators. The Guardian has previously revealed controversial practices by Australia-based Stake, including a promotion in which it offered a $10 'free' bet to anyone who wagered $5,000 in a week. The revelation led to Everton telling the brand not to use club imagery as part of the promotion, although the wider commercial partnership continued. A subsequent investigation by the Observer in 2022 uncovered concerns about the ease with which British customers were apparently able to bet with cryptocurrency on the site, despite crypto gambling being illegal in Britain. At the time, the company said it adhered to rigorous anti-money laundering and safer gambling processes, and that it had shut down customers trying to gamble with cryptocurrency in the UK, who were bypassing controls by using virtual private networks (VPNs). Stake previously sponsored the front of Everton shirts but 2026-27 will mark the start of a deal between the Premier League and the government, under which clubs agreed voluntarily to ban front-of-shirt deals with casinos and sports books, including licensed operators. The measure has led to operators sponsoring shirt sleeves and training kits instead, while there has been no change to rules allowing advertising on the pitch.