Leicester City FC’s choice to “legitimise” BC.Game will fuel “consumer confusion” around the UK black market, warned BetBlocker’s Founder, Duncan Garvie.
BC.Game, which does not hold a licence for the UK market, served as Leicester’s front-of-shirt sponsor during the club’s 2024/25 Premier League campaign, and returned to the side’s kit for their 1-1 draw with Portsmouth last weekend.
“That a major UK football club has chosen to legitimise a gambling operator that is illegal in the UK only adds to consumer confusion around which sites are legal and appropriately regulated,” said Garvie.
“This is a practice that the [UK Gambling Commissions] need to be empowered to stamp out. The standards for safer gambling practices have been clearly set in the UK market. If BC.Game was meeting those standards, they would hold a UK license.”
After withdrawing from Curaçao, BC.Game gained a licence in Anjouan through its parent company Twocent Technology Limited.
Its local entity, Blockdance Africa Limited, was also recently granted two licences by the Betting Control and Licensing Board of Kenya, enabling BC.Game to operate in the Kenyan market.
As per UKGC rules, clubs are required to ensure that UK players are unable to access their gambling partners if they are not licensed in the country. In both parties’ announcements of the deal, it was notable that they included a warning that BC.Game is not available in the UK.
BetBlocker provides a service that allows players to block access to online gambling operators on their devices for set periods. Garvie shared concerning data that in 2025, BC.Game has been the second biggest referrer of traffic to the app.
He added: “BC.Game will have sent tens of thousands of visitors to our service by the end of the year. Yet, due to the unregulated business model they’ve adopted, they do not contribute to any of the ecosystems (worldwide) that support organisations working to reduce gambling harm.
“They are generating a massive burden for these support systems without contributing to their maintenance. That in itself is a huge problem.”
Within its announcement, BC.Game included a compliance notice that emphasised its focus on “global brand engagement, fan experiences, and responsible-play messaging across BC.GAME’s international digital platforms, subject to local compliance requirements”
iGaming Expert reached out to the UKGC for comment.
Fan discontent
Midway through last season, Leicester were forced to reassure their fans that BC.Game would meet its contractual and financial obligations after reports emerged that the operator had gone bankrupt.
BC.Game always denied these reports and maintained that it had no issues with liquidity or financial stability.
On the operator’s return, Leicester City’s Chair, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, commented: “As a Club, it is important that our commercial partnerships continue to support our ambitions. We continue to work hard to ensure every partnership helps us to achieve our goals, supports investment in the team, and contributes to Leicester City’s long-term sustainability.”
However, the continuation of the relationship between Leicester and BC.Game was met with strong discontent among the club’s fans.
“I’ve never been more ashamed of my football club,” said the Leicester fan podcast Big Strong Leicester Boys. “I’m beyond disgusted. This isn’t a reputable gambling firm, BC.Game are banned in this country, yet they sponsor our football club. You can’t claim this is a great partnership to be part of. I’m done with the owner of this football club.”
The podcast also noted that the partnership with BC.Game was announced days after the club’s long-serving CEO, Susan Whelan, stepped down from her role.
Perhaps highlighting the feelings amongst its fans, Leicester confirmed that it will continue to sell shirts without the BC.Game logo, a policy that the club says aligns with feedback from their Fan Engagement Framework.
