Entain continues to be an aggressive opponent of the Premier League’s willingness to cosy up to unlicensed operators, now directly putting pressure on six top-flight clubs.
Simon Zinger, Entain’s Group General Counsel and Chief Customer Care Officer, has written to the Chairs of Burnley, Bournemouth, Fulham, Everton, Sunderland, and Wolves over the way they continue to provide exposure to ‘predatory’ black market firms.
He called on all six to commit to only working with UK-licensed gambling companies and ditch their associations with 96.com, BJ88, SBOTOP, Stake, W88, and DEBET, respectively.
In a letter seen by iGaming Expert, sent to Bill Foley, Chair of AFC Bournemouth, Zinger said: “BJ88 has been frequently associated with aggressive marketing tactics in regions where gambling is prohibited, often using unregulated payment methods like cryptocurrency to evade financial oversight.
“By accepting sponsorship from a firm that operates in the shadows of international law, Bournemouth is actively legitimising the infrastructure used by the global black market.”
Zinger added that firms like BJ88 use ‘predatory’ tactics to target the most vulnerable groups, such as problem gamblers and children.
He was similarly critical of Stake, the high-profile crypto casino that has adorned Everton shirts since the start of the 2022/23 Premier League season, in a letter to the club’s Chief Executive Officer, Angus Kinnear.
He described the operator as a ‘lightning rod for concerns regarding money laundering and lack of player protection’, pointing to the company’s use of streamers to target younger audiences.
Two games remain in this current Premier League season before clubs will be forced to adhere to a ban on gambling front-of-shirt sponsors.
Bournemouth has confirmed that the health insurance provider Vitality will become their front-of-shirt sponsor, while Everton has reportedly signed a £30m deal with the financial services group CMC Markets.
However, nothing is stopping clubs in the Premier League from partnering with the likes of BJ88 or Stake across another facet of sponsorship, such as sleeve sponsorship.
Gambling Commission rules state that football clubs only need to ensure that players in the UK cannot access gambling sites to be compliant with guidelines.
Given the limited scope of these rules, Zinger said that he was appealing directly to clubs to take a stronger stance on their marketing practices.
In words echoed across the two letters, he said: “Under the Premier League Owners’ Charter, [the clubs have] committed to running [themselves] ‘in an economically stable, sustainable, and socially responsible manner’ (Point 3) and to conduct [their] dealings ‘with good faith, honesty and the highest possible standards of professional behaviour and sporting integrity’ (Point 10).
“On the evidence set out above, a front-of-shirt partnership with an unlicensed gambling operator cannot be squared with either. The clubs deserve better than to be sold out to nefarious sponsors.”
The UK government has also begun a consultation on banning British sports teams from entering into partnerships with unlicensed operators. However, Zinger shared his concerns that a ban would not come in time to impact sponsorship deals for next season. Hence, Entain has made the decision to reach out directly to clubs.
Earlier this month, the group also wrote to the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) to urge them to include illegal gambling as part of its mandate that prevents English football clubs from accepting income ‘connected to serious criminal conduct’.
The company’s Chief Executive, Stella David, argued that some Premier League clubs continue to be sponsored by ‘criminal gambling firms’, as they are committing a criminal offence under the Gambling Act 2005 when they accept bets from British consumers.
David said: “The IFR can stop this tomorrow by simply acknowledging that unlicensed gambling companies targeting UK customers through English football are breaking the law – plain and simple.
“The regulator does not need any new powers, new legislation, or even a new rule to make this happen. In fact, it has already drafted one. We are asking the regulator to define and apply it before the next season begins. The IFR was created to fix English football’s governance failures. This is one of them.”
Outside of football, Entain has committed to working with the wider industry to address the threat posed by the black market as tax changes and regulatory reforms continue to take hold.
Speaking at February’s BGC annual general meeting, Zinger said the company has set up its own task force to collate information to present to the relevant authorities to guide enforcement action against black market operators.
