The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has reminded football clubs that they must carry out “sufficient due diligence” regarding sponsorship deals with the gambling industry.
These words follow Insider Sport and iGaming Expert discovering that God55, the new official Asian betting partner of Tom Brady’s Birmingham City FC, is misleading consumers over claims that it holds a Maltese Gaming Authority (MGA) license.
The MGA has since confirmed that it has ‘no connection’ with 17 different domains for the God55 brand and has launched its own investigation.
A UKGC spokesperson told iGaming Expert: “We would advise all football clubs considering sponsorship arrangements to read our information notice. This clearly explains that clubs are expected to carry out sufficient due diligence to assure the Commission that consumers cannot transact with these sites from Great Britain by any means.
“As we set out at the time, we will be taking steps to verify that any sites promoted by football clubs have effective measures in place to prevent British consumers from accessing them and will act accordingly if they do not.
“We do not normally comment on individual operators. However, we would like to make clear that we always take action against any operator purporting to have a licence when they do not.”
They added that any consumers in the UK concerned about an unlicensed gambling website can report it via the UKGC website.
A continuing trend
The Malaysian-based God55 claims to be licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) alongside the MGA.
However, iGaming Expert has found no evidence that God55 has a valid licence from any of these regulators in their databases.
The League One club’s partnership with the brand follows a growing trend of similar deals seen throughout English football that have drawn the attention of the UKGC.
Last year, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace received a warning from the commission concerning their partnerships with Kaiyun Sports, an Asian gambling company unlicensed in the UK.
Other partnerships, including between De.Bet and Wolverhampton Wanderers, as well as BC.Game and Leicester City, have drawn significant backlash from supporters to varying extents.
As stated by the UKGC, clubs are expected to conduct thorough due diligence when selecting partners, particularly those unfamiliar with their home market.
The relationship between football and the gambling industry is continuing to experience increasing scrutiny. From the 2026/27 season, Premier League clubs will no longer be allowed to carry front-of-shirt sponsors from the betting industry.
The latest controversy surrounding Birmingham City may lead to clubs reconsidering the value of sponsorship deals from similar brands, given the regulatory and fan pressure they may expect to experience as a consequence.
iGaming Expert and Insider Sport has reached out to Birmingham City for comment, but so far has received no response.
