Half of the Premier League's 20 clubs currently hold sponsorship or advertising deals with unlicensed gambling companies. These agreements could become illegal next year under new government plans.
An eight-week consultation regarding proposals to ban sponsorship from gambling companies not licensed in the UK is set to conclude this Wednesday. This move has pitted licensed operators, such as Ladbrokes and William Hill, against the Premier League, with potential financial implications for clubs amounting to tens of millions of pounds.
The Guardian's analysis indicates that the number of top-flight clubs with commercial ties to unlicensed operators has risen from six to ten over the summer. This increase may be linked to the league's voluntary ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship deals, which began this season.
Everton, for example, announced a new three-year sleeve sponsorship with crypto casino Stake.com. Other clubs, including Chelsea and Tottenham, have commercial deals that feature perimeter advertising at their stadiums or player branding. One company, 8XBet, licensed in Curaçao, has deals with Chelsea, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Ipswich, and Coventry.
The government is moving to restrict unlicensed operators due to their lack of customer protections, such as affordability checks and spending limits, which are provided by regulated betting firms. The growth of the unregulated market has been linked to financial harm, addiction, and suicide.
Entain, owner of Ladbrokes, has written to the ten Premier League clubs involved with unlicensed operators, highlighting concerns about consumer harm. Gambling minister Vicky Foxcroft is understood to have indicated the government's intention to introduce the ban next year, though the Premier League is expected to lobby for existing contracts to be honoured.