{"id":915215,"date":"2026-06-24T18:14:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T23:14:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/24\/entain-directly-calls-on-premier-league-clubs-to-ditch-unlicensed-betting-partners\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T18:14:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T23:14:24","slug":"entain-directly-calls-on-premier-league-clubs-to-ditch-unlicensed-betting-partners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/24\/entain-directly-calls-on-premier-league-clubs-to-ditch-unlicensed-betting-partners\/","title":{"rendered":"Entain directly calls on Premier League clubs to ditch unlicensed betting partners"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ladbrokes<\/strong> and Coral<\/strong> owner Entain<\/strong> has directly appealed to six Premier<\/strong> League<\/strong> clubs with unlicensed betting partners in letters seen by SBC News.<\/p>\n

Entain\u2019s General Counsel, Simon<\/strong> Zinger<\/strong>, penned letters to the six teams, continuing a campaign against unlicensed betting sponsors which has already seen Stella<\/strong> David<\/strong>, the firm\u2019s Chief Executive Officer, appeal to the Premier League and the football regulator<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Zinger wrote to executive figures at Burnley<\/strong>, Bournemouth<\/strong>, Fulham<\/strong>, Everton<\/strong>, Sunderland<\/strong> and Wolverhampton Wanderers<\/strong>, calling on the top-tier sextet to \u2018commit to only using UK-licensed gambling sponsors next season\u201d.<\/p>\n

Entain slams \u2018aggressive marketing\u2019 of unlicensed operators<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Burnley is partnered with 96.com<\/strong>, Bournemouth with BJ88<\/strong>, Fulham with SBOTOP<\/strong>, Everton with Stake<\/strong>, Sunderland with W88<\/strong>, and Wolves with DEBET<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With the exception of Stake, all of these firms are \u2018Asian-focused\u2019 bookmakers, and none hold a licence with the British Gambling<\/strong> Commission<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

All six companies were also at one point licensed in the UK via TGP Europe, an Isle of Man white label provider. Stake surrendered its licence in February 2024<\/a> after a marketing controversy, and TGP would later collapse in April 2024<\/a>, receiving a Commission fine in the process.<\/p>\n

In letters to Bill<\/strong> Foley<\/strong>, Bournemouth Chairman, and Angus<\/strong> Kinnear<\/strong>, CEO of Everton, Entain\u2019s Zinger stated that the FTSE 100 company \u201cis deeply concerned\u201d about the clubs\u2019 respective partnerships with BJ88 and Stake.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you will know, Stake\u2019s heavy reliance on cryptocurrency and its history of operating in grey jurisdictions make it a lightning rod for concerns regarding money laundering and lack of player protection,\u201d he wrote to Kinnear.<\/p>\n

\u201cStake\u2019s rapid rise has been fuelled by an unregulated streamer culture that specifically targets the younger demographics your Everton in the Community programmes seek to protect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Addressing Bournemouth\u2019s Foley, Zinger wrote: \u201cThe sponsorship with BJ88 is particularly concerning given the brand\u2019s lack of transparent corporate history and its focus on the grey market.<\/p>\n

\u201cBJ88 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBy 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Operator calls on clubs to act in place of Premier League<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Stella David appealed directly to Richard<\/strong> Masters<\/strong>, CEO of the Premier League<\/a>, back in February, arguing that \u2018it cannot be right that clubs competing in the world\u2019s most watched football league are promoting gambling brands that do not hold a UK licence\u201d.<\/p>\n

From next season onwards, the Premier League will implement a self-imposed ban on front-of-shirt deals with betting companies \u2013 whether licensed or unlicensed. Sleeve sponsorships, perimeter LED advertising, and social media marketing, can continue.<\/p>\n

There are no rules preventing clubs from working with offshore betting companies, however. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport<\/strong>\u2019s (DCMS) rules state that clubs can continue to do so as long as an unlicensed company is not directly targeting British customers \u2013 a reflection of the league\u2019s global visibility.<\/p>\n

Concerns around the extent of black market gambling activity in the UK, as well as public and political frustration with gambling advertising in general, have led to DCMS consulting on whether to ban unlicensed betting firms from sponsoring in British sports outright<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI welcome the government\u2019s intention to crack down on this,\u201d Zinger wrote in his letters to Bournemouth and Everton.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing beyond the Premier League\u2019s voluntary front-of-shirt gambling ban from next season, they are consulting on banning all unlicensed, illegal gambling operator sponsorship in sport, including sleeve patches and perimeter boards.\u201d<\/p>\n

Entain is clearly not waiting around for the DCMS\u2019 Illegal Gambling Taskforce to complete its consultation, however \u2013 perhaps having taken note of how long UK political processes around gambling regulation have been in the past.<\/p>\n

The company is also not satisfied with the Premier League\u2019s response to its CEO\u2019s February appeal, as Zinger\u2019s letters outline.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the Premier League failing to show sufficient leadership, I am appealing to you directly,\u201d Zinger wrote to Bournemouth\u2019s Foley, also citing the clubs\u2019 commitments under the Premier League Owners\u2019 Charter.<\/p>\n

An appeal to regulation<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Entain has drawn attention to charter provisions that clubs operate \u201cin an economically stable, sustainable, and socially responsible manner\u201d and \u201cwith good faith, honesty and the highest possible standards of professional behaviour and sporting integrity\u201d.<\/p>\n

Zinger argues that offshore operators\u2019 illicit activities \u2013 the abovementioned statement regarding BJ88\u2019s \u2018lack of transparency\u2019 being an example \u2013 coupled with Betting and Gaming Council<\/strong> (BGC) estimates of \u00a32.7bn a year staked with unregulated and illegal operators, contradicts clubs\u2019 charter commitments.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the evidence set out above, a front-of-shirt partnership with an unlicensed gambling operator cannot be squared with either,\u201d he said, also describing both Bournemouth and Everton as \u2018a proud club\u2019 that \u2018deserves better than to be sold out to nefarious sponsors\u2019.<\/p>\n

The UK gambling sector is facing a lot of pressure in 2026. This is coming in the form of both political scrutiny, particularly around advertising and retail betting activity, and also in the financial burden of heavier taxation.<\/p>\n

Against this backdrop, Entain is campaigning heavily around unlicensed sponsorship in football. In this writer\u2019s opinion, this is a very smart move, appealing around a sport that is deeply entrenched in British culture and communities.<\/p>\n

The company is also drawing a line between its own regulated activities and those of unregulated firms at a time when many people, whether among the general public or in political circles, aren\u2019t always sure where the difference lies.<\/p>\n

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