Six Premier League clubs in hot water over unlicensed gambling sponsorships
Six Premier League clubs — Leicester City, Bournemouth, Fulham, Newcastle, Wolves, and Burnley — are facing scrutiny for their connections to unlicensed gambling companies. This issue raises concerns about legal compliance, ethics, and consumer protection in the UK, as these clubs may have allowed sponsors to operate without valid gambling licences.
The clubs in the hot seat
According to Sky News, six Premier League clubs are facing scrutiny for their ties to unlicensed gambling companies:
- Leicester City and BC.Game: Leicester’s sponsor, BC.Game, has been operating without a UK gambling licence since December 2024, potentially leading to a $40.5 million liability.
- Bournemouth and BJ88: Bournemouth’s sponsor, BJ88, lacks proper oversight after cutting ties with its licensing body, raising consumer safety concerns.
- Fulham and SBOTOP: Fulham’s partner, SBOTOP, may be serving UK customers without a licence, which violates UK Gambling Commission regulations.
- Newcastle United: Sportsbet.io and Fun88: Newcastle’s sponsors, Sportsbet.io and Fun88, no longer meet licensing standards, raising legal concerns.
- Wolves and Debet: Wolverhampton Wanderers’ sponsor, Debet, is operating without a valid licence, which could impact the club’s brand and operations.
- Burnley and 96.com: Burnley’s sponsor, 96.com, lacks the legal backing to operate in the UK yet remains prominently displayed on the club’s shirts.
TGP Europe fines and market exit
A white-label licence lets one company use another’s legal cover. TGP Europe provided the UK licence while offshore gambling operators ran their businesses under this umbrella. This arrangement allowed these companies to access the UK market without direct scrutiny. However, this practice is now ending abruptly.
In 2023, TGP Europe was fined $427,800 for anti-money laundering failures and inadequate due diligence on its white-label partners. In early 2024, another investigation found no significant improvements, leading to a $4.4 million fine from the UK Gambling Commission.
TGP Europe withdrew from the UK market as a result of these sanctions, leaving its partners without valid licences. Consequently, these betting sites are now either operating unlawfully or in a legal grey area.
Gambling commission’s stance
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has stated that promoting unlicensed gambling operators is a criminal offence. Clubs that do so risk fines, prosecution, and potential jail time for executives. With gambling firms accepting UK players via crypto and VPNs, these clubs might be seen as complicit. Many clubs have multi-million-pound deals with these sponsors. Breaking these contracts could cause financial chaos, but failing to act could lead to criminal investigations.
The rise of offshore and crypto betting
Cryptocurrency deposits enable anonymous gambling, which complicates regulation and anti-money laundering compliance. The Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA) demonstrated that using a VPN allows users to bypass restrictions and gamble on unlicensed sites. QR code payments offer minimal oversight, increasing the risks of underage gambling, money laundering, and fraud.
CEGA discovered it was alarmingly easy to make deposits using both fiat and cryptocurrency, indicating a lack of safeguards. According to CEGA’s director, checks were minimal or nonexistent, violating responsible gambling principles. CEGA is urging clubs to cut ties with unlicensed partners immediately or face consequences.
