The UK government is set to intervene in the significant sponsorship role of unlicensed gambling operators in English football, according to a Guardian report over the weekend.
Everton’s sleeve sponsorship deal with Stake raised eyebrows last week, and only fuelled the lobbying of the regulated industry for a clampdown on the relationship between English football and the unlicensed gambling industry.
As we enter a new premiership, with former Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, set to take the keys to number ten from Sir Keir Starmer, the DCMS is set to press ahead and make long-awaited progress on prohibition for unlicensed operators gaining exposure through English sports sponsorships.
One of the most vocal proponents of increased action on the black market was Entain and the firm’s CEO, Stella David.
David slammed the Premier League for ‘complicity’ in the growth of the black market, calling for increased action before the end of last season.
There will be lamentation from David and other campaigners about the time taken to progress with the action, with a lack of urgency leading to an opportunity for the deal between Stake and Everton to be secured this summer.
The developments coincide with English football’s top division heading into an era where front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships are prohibited as a result of the league’s voluntary ban from operators.
David also urged action from the incumbent football regulator, calling for intervention when it comes to the surge of unlicensed sponsorships in the sport.
She stated in a letter: “Premier League clubs are being sponsored by criminal gambling firms. The Independent Football Regulator can stop this tomorrow by simply acknowledging that unlicensed gambling companies targeting UK customers through English football are breaking the law – plain and simple.”
A DCMS spokesperson said: “It’s not right that unlicensed gambling operators can sponsor some of our biggest football clubs, raising their profile and potentially drawing fans towards sites that don’t meet our regulatory standards.
“That is why we are looking to ban unlicensed operators from sponsorship deals in British sport and our consultation on the matter will go live soon.”
Speaking to iGaming Expert, Entain’s International Compliance Director, Joseph Attard, also called for a strengthened approach to tackling the black market. He underpinned that halting sponsorship alone wouldn’t be enough.
Attard emphasised: “The most effective lever is payment enforcement. Blocking card processing and payment services cuts off illegal operators at their most critical point and is far harder to evade than measures like IP blocking.
Beyond that, licensed operators can support regulators by sharing intelligence, commissioning independent research to quantify harm and publicly calling out those who enable illegal gambling.
“High-profile interventions, such as our Chief Executive Officer Stella David’s recent open letter to Premier League CEO Richard Masters about the prevalent unlicensed sponsorships among their clubs, help reframe the issue as one of consumer protection and integrity rather than industry competition. Ultimately, enforcement efforts are most effective when they focus on where the risk of harm is greatest.”
