TLDR
- Entain has urged the Independent Football Regulator to block Premier League clubs from accepting sponsorship deals with unlicensed gambling operators
- Five Premier League clubs including Everton and Fulham currently have shirt deals with operators not licensed in the UK
- The UK illegal gambling black market generates £4.3bn a year and is expected to reach £17bn soon
- Research shows 18 of 20 Premier League clubs displayed advertising for unlawful operators on LED boards this season
- Entain wants clubs forced to verify gambling partners’ licence status in annual declarations with legal consequences for false statements
Entain, the company behind Ladbrokes and Coral, has called on the Independent Football Regulator to crack down on Premier League clubs taking money from unlicensed gambling companies.
The gambling giant made its push during the IFR’s second licensing consultation. This process is setting new rules for the top five tiers of English men’s football.
Entain says the regulator already has the tools to act. Its draft rules prohibit clubs from accepting funds tied to serious criminal conduct, and Entain wants the IFR to confirm that money from unlicensed gambling operators falls under that definition.
Stella David, Entain’s Chief Executive, did not hold back. She said Premier League clubs “are being sponsored by criminal gambling firms” and that the regulator “can stop this tomorrow.”
David added that unlicensed gambling companies targeting UK customers through English football “are breaking the law – plain and simple.”
Several Premier League Clubs Already Tied to Unlicensed Sponsors
The issue is not theoretical. Everton, Sunderland, Fulham, Bournemouth, and Burnley all currently have shirt deals with gambling operators that do not hold UK licences.
Research found that 18 of the 20 Premier League clubs have shown advertising for unlawful operators on LED boards during the current season.
The league has agreed to remove front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships starting next season. However, sleeve logos, pitchside boards, and other commercial deals will still be allowed.
The Betting and Gaming Council puts the UK black market at £4.3bn a year. One in five young adults aged 18 to 24 has used illegal gambling channels.
A report from H2 Gambling Capital released last week said the market is expected to hit £17bn soon. That figure has tripled since 2019.
Yield Sec estimates that 420,000 schoolchildren are gambling through social media, VPNs, and crypto wallets. The Gambling Commission reports that 67% of GamStop users are targeted by black market advertising.
WARC projects that unlicensed sponsorship will account for more than half of UK sports sponsorship spend by 2027. A 2024 audit by Deal Me Out found that 84% of content creators promoted illegal operators.
Entain Lays Out Four-Step Plan for the Regulator
Entain’s submission to the IFR outlines four steps. First, guidance should confirm that income from unlicensed gambling counts as funds linked to serious criminal conduct.
Second, club boards should be required to verify the licence status of gambling partners in annual declarations. False statements would carry legal consequences.
Third, the Football Club Corporate Governance Code should be strengthened. Boards would need to treat reputational risk from commercial partnerships as a standing responsibility.
Fourth, general guidance should be published for all clubs covering due diligence and notification duties. Entain says systemic risks need systemic responses rather than club-by-club conditions.
The company has also written directly to Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters. It is pushing for a voluntary ban on sponsorship and advertising by unlicensed operators before the 2026/27 season begins.
The IFR consultation comes ahead of a separate process by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on banning unlicensed gambling sponsorships across British sport. Entain insists the regulator should act now rather than wait for that broader review.
