Entain has renewed its call for an immediate UK ban on sports sponsorship deals with unlicensed gambling operators, after writing to 10 Premier League clubs on 8 September 2026.
The Ladbrokes Coral owner wants the government to act this season. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has said a ban, if approved, is unlikely to take effect before the 2027/28 Premier League season.
Sunderland signs Curaçao-licensed Shuffle
Three days after Entain’s letters went out, Sunderland announced a multi-year sleeve sponsorship with Shuffle, a crypto-focused casino and sportsbook. Shuffle is licensed by the Curaçao Gaming Control Board and holds no licence from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).
Shuffle branding will appear on Sunderland’s sleeves in the Premier League, Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Europa League. The club and the operator also plan exclusive content, fan activations and influencer marketing.
Sunderland is one of 11 Premier League clubs partnered with unlicensed platforms this season, according to SBC News. The list includes Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Everton, which is linked to Stake, its front-of-shirt sponsor from the 2022/23 season. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is a lifelong Everton supporter.
Premier League clubs agreed in 2023 to remove gambling brands from the front of their shirts from the 2026/27 season. The agreement does not cover sleeves, training kit or stadium advertising, where deals such as Sunderland’s sit.
Entain wants the ban this season
Stella David, Chief Executive of Entain, said clubs signed these deals knowing a ban was coming.
“Premier League clubs that have struck new deals with unlicensed gambling operators knew the risks. The Government made clear in February that it would bring in a ban and it should do so immediately: even if that means clubs ordering new kit mid-season. Inconvenience is not an excuse for inaction.”
An immediate ban would force clubs with unlicensed sleeve or kit partners to change their branding during the 2026/27 campaign. The DCMS consultation on the proposal closed in the week of 11 September.
Second round of letters
The September letters are Entain’s second direct approach to clubs this year. On 15 May, Simon Zinger, Entain’s Group General Counsel and Chief Customer Care Officer, wrote to the chairs of six clubs: Burnley, Bournemouth, Fulham, Everton, Sunderland and Wolves.
Entain also asked the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) to block unlicensed gambling sponsorships in English football. David said at the time:
“The IFR can stop this tomorrow by simply acknowledging that unlicensed gambling companies targeting UK customers through English football are breaking the law.”
Entain’s argument is commercial as well as regulatory. Licensed operators pay UK gambling duties, fund safer gambling measures and follow UKGC rules on affordability, advertising and customer verification. Unlicensed brands that reach UK fans through football kits carry none of those costs.
How players find unlicensed sites
Consumer research referenced in Entain’s campaign found that 22% of people who encountered an unlicensed operator first came across it through social media advertising, and 13% through sponsorship. Four in five consumers could not tell a licensed operator from an unlicensed one.
The gap has a safer gambling cost. GAMSTOP, the UK’s national self-exclusion scheme, only covers UKGC-licensed operators, so a self-excluded player can still open an account with an offshore site promoted on a Premier League kit.
Pressure on Entain’s UK business
The campaign comes as Entain manages cost pressure at home. The company has said up to 400 customer care roles could be cut, and it has urged the government not to double Machine Games Duty in the Autumn Budget.
What happens next
DCMS now has to review the consultation responses and decide whether to proceed and on what timetable. Its current guidance points to the 2027/28 season at the earliest, which would leave current unlicensed deals in place for the rest of 2026/27.
The sponsorship debate is running alongside wider scrutiny of gambling marketing in the UK, after a House of Lords committee called for a full ban on gambling advertising. Any rules DCMS adopts on unlicensed sponsors will set the baseline for clubs negotiating kit deals for 2027/28 and beyond.
Source: Entain
