Entain CEO Stella David has written an open letter to Premier League CEO Richard Masters demanding an immediate ban on unlicensed gambling operator sponsorships, accusing the league of being “complicit” in the growth of the UK’s black market gambling sector.
The letter, published on 25 February 2026, coincides with the UK government’s announcement that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will consult on a formal ban on sports sponsorships by operators without a Gambling Commission licence. David welcomed the move but argued that a consultation process could take months while clubs continue signing commercial deals and ordering kits for next season.
The “Black Market Derby”
David framed her intervention around this Saturday’s Premier League fixture between Bournemouth and Sunderland, both of which carry shirt sponsors that are not licensed in Great Britain. She called the match a “black market derby” and used it to illustrate what she described as an accelerating problem in English football.
“On Saturday 28 February, Bournemouth host Sunderland in a ‘black market derby’, with both teams sporting gambling sponsors without UK licences on their shirts. It exemplifies the rise of black market gambling in the UK, the Premier League’s complicity in it, and the very real harms at stake.”
Bournemouth’s shirt sponsor BJ88 was ordered out of the UK market by the Gambling Commission last summer. Its parent company TGP Europe paid a £3.3m penalty for due diligence failures related to its sports sponsorship activity. Newcastle United and Fulham were among five Premier League clubs warned by the Commission over their ties to TGP Europe, which operates as a white-label provider for more than 30 gambling websites including Fun88 and SBOTOP, and has since surrendered its UK licence.
What Entain Is Asking For
David pressed the Premier League to act on two fronts: an immediate end to pitchside LED board advertising by unlicensed operators, followed by removal of all unlicensed sponsors from club clothing from the 2026/27 season. The Premier League has already agreed to end front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships from next season under a voluntary arrangement, but David argued that partial measures are insufficient.
“It cannot be right that clubs competing in the world’s most watched football league are promoting gambling brands that do not hold a UK licence. These operators do not contribute to British sport, they do not pay UK gambling duties, and they do not uphold the standards of player protection that our regulated market is built upon.”
The letter also accused the Premier League of lobbying DCMS to retain unlicensed gambling brands on shirt sleeves, ahead of the imminent front-of-shirt ban. David said the league has the opportunity to set an example by acting ahead of any statutory requirement.
“Entain has made its choice. We are on the side of sport and sport integrity, on the side of fans, and on the side of a responsible and regulated betting sector. We will therefore be calling on DCMS and the Gambling Commission to implement a comprehensive ban in this area as urgently as possible.”
Market Context
David cited Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) data estimating that UK consumers wager £2.7bn annually with unregulated platforms. Research by Yield Sec puts the black market’s share of the UK online gambling market at 9% in 2025, up from 2% in 2022. Entain has not held a football sponsorship since the 2019/20 season, when it terminated Ladbrokes’ headline deal with the Scottish Professional Football League.
The BGC also welcomed the government’s announcement, with a spokesperson noting that licensed operators face significantly higher taxation and tighter regulation while being required to reduce advertising spend, making enforcement against the black market more urgent.
David closed the letter by requesting a meeting with Masters to explore how Entain and the Premier League could work together. The DCMS consultation is expected to launch in spring 2026. Until that process concludes, the existing voluntary agreement leaves unlicensed operators in secondary positions including sleeve sponsors and perimeter boards without restriction.
See also: Flutter faces £540m impact from UK tax increases | Entain estimates £200m annual tax impact from UK duty increases | UK confirms major gambling tax increases
Source: Entain
