Entain’s general counsel Simon Zinger has written directly to six Premier League clubs, asking each to commit to UK-licensed gambling sponsors only for the 2026/27 season, as the Ladbrokes and Coral owner escalates a months-long campaign against unlicensed operator visibility in English football.
The Six Clubs and Their Sponsors
The letters, sent on May 15, were addressed to executive figures at Burnley, Bournemouth, Fulham, Everton, Sunderland, and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The six clubs are currently sponsored by 96.com, BJ88, SBOTOP, Stake, W88, and DEBET respectively. None holds a current UK Gambling Commission licence.
All six brands were previously licensed in the UK through TGP Europe, an Isle of Man-based white-label provider that surrendered its licence in May 2025 after a £3.3m regulatory fine for failures in business partner checks and anti-money laundering controls. The clubs’ commercial arrangements continued after the licensing framework dissolved. Sunderland’s W88 deal ran through DM Limited Gaming, which surrendered its own licence in 2024. Stake lost its licence in February 2025 when the UKGC launched an investigation into a December 2024 social media campaign featuring adult performer Bonnie Blue.
What the Letters Say
Writing to Everton CEO Angus Kinnear, Zinger identifies Stake’s operating model as the central concern.
“Stake’s 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. Stake’s 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.”
The letter to Bournemouth chairman Bill Foley focuses on BJ88.
“BJ88 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. By 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.”
Zinger also invokes the Premier League Owners’ Charter in the letters, which commits clubs to operating in a sustainable and socially responsible manner with good faith and the highest standards of professional behaviour and sporting integrity. He argues the sponsorship arrangements with unlicensed operators breach those commitments. “With the Premier League failing to show sufficient leadership, I am appealing to you directly,” he wrote to Foley.
A Three-Stage Escalation
Entain’s campaign has moved in three steps. CEO Stella David wrote to Premier League CEO Richard Masters in February, arguing it was wrong for clubs in the world’s most watched football competition to promote brands without a UK licence. On May 7, Entain submitted to the Independent Football Regulator (IFR), asking it to confirm in guidance that income from unlicensed operators constitutes funds connected to serious criminal conduct under its draft Annex B provisions, and that accepting such income breaches club obligations under the Football Club Corporate Governance Code.
The IFR was established under the Football Governance Act, which received Royal Assent in July 2025. Entain argues the regulator has authority to act without new legislation. Zinger has stated a formal government ban will not arrive in time to affect 2026/27 sponsorship deals. The DCMS announced a consultation on banning unlicensed operator sponsorship in British sport in February, but that process has not yet begun. With clubs expected to confirm next season’s commercial arrangements in the coming weeks, Entain moved to contact them directly rather than wait for regulatory action.
The Wider Black Market Pressure
Entain’s push sits within a broader enforcement effort. The UKGC recently posted a senior Head of Illegal Markets role to coordinate action against unlicensed operators, and the UK government has committed £26m in new enforcement funding. The Betting and Gaming Council estimates £2.7bn is staked annually with unlicensed operators in the UK, a figure Entain uses in its club correspondence to frame the commercial damage to the regulated sector. WARC analysis from April projected that unlicensed operators will overtake the UK’s regulated gambling advertising spend by 2028.
Licensed operators have grown increasingly vocal on the black market as they absorb the impact of the UK’s gambling tax increases, which raised the online casino rate to 40% and sports betting to 25%. Entain has estimated those changes will cost the company approximately £200m annually. Stella David, speaking at the Betting and Gaming Council’s annual general meeting in February, said the company has established its own task force to compile evidence for authorities on black market activity. The UKGC’s final report on the illegal online gambling market set out the scale of unlicensed activity facing regulated operators across the UK.
What Comes Next
The Premier League’s voluntary front-of-shirt gambling ban takes effect from the 2026/27 season but leaves sleeve patches, perimeter LED boards, and social media placements untouched. Bournemouth has confirmed health insurer Vitality as its replacement front-of-shirt sponsor. Everton has reportedly agreed a £30m deal with financial services group CMC Markets. The commercial positions of Burnley, Fulham, Sunderland, and Wolverhampton Wanderers for next season have not been confirmed.
The IFR has not publicly responded to Entain’s May 7 submission. The DCMS consultation on a full sponsorship ban remains pending. Until either body acts, the decision on whether to renew commercial relationships with the six unlicensed brands sits with the clubs themselves.
Source: Focus Gaming News
