Unlicensed Gambling Sponsors Could Face UK Ban From 2027
Everton's new deal with Stake and dozens of other partnerships could come under scrutiny after the U.K. government proposed a ban on sponsorships involving unlicensed gambling operators.
The U.K. government has launched an eight-week consultation on banning sponsorships and advertising by gambling operators without a U.K. Gambling Commission (UKGC) license.
The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport made the announcement on July 15. An incoming ban would include banning offshore operator logos from appearing on kits, on stadium billboards, or in the names of leagues or venues.
The consultation outlines two implementation options: a preferred fixed start date of August 2027, ahead of the 2027-28 football season, or a phased approach that would allow existing sponsorship agreements to continue until August 2028. The government said its preferred August 2027 start date would “minimize commercial disruption and allow time to secure legitimate replacements.”
Lawmakers are pitching this proposal as both a consumer protection and an anti-money laundering measure. The government said the changes would help address money-laundering vulnerabilities in football, following the U.K.’s National Risk Assessment, which identified clubs and agents as potential targets for organized crime and other malign actors.
The government will accept responses until September 9 and expects to make decisions before the end of 2026.
Timing of Everton’s Deal With Stake
Gambling Minister Fiona Twycross carefully kept expectations narrow, saying that the likelihood is that “most sectors and sports will remain unaffected.”
One sports team that the ban will impact is Everton FC. The English Premier League (EPL) side only announced last week a three-year deal that will place the logo of crypto casino Stake on its jersey sleeves for the next three seasons.
Stake previously appeared on the front of the jersey, but the incoming ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsors takes effect for the 2026/2027 season.
Stake left the U.K. market in May 2025 after its white-label provider, TGP Europe, surrendered its UKGC license following a regulator’s finding that the company had failed to conduct sufficient checks on business partners and breached anti-money laundering rules.
Everton signed the sleeve deal despite learning in February that the government was considering a crackdown on non-UKGC-licensed operators, such as Stake, that sponsor sports.
Not Just Football
The government admits that football is the main sport dealing with unlicensed gambling operators entering sponsorship arrangements.
According to the consultation, roughly 40% of EPL clubs had a deal with an unlicensed operator in 2025/2026. The government said its preferred August implementation date is to align with the football calendar.
However, the ban will also impact some other sports.
Stake has also had a presence in Formula 1, sponsoring the Sauber team in 2024 and 2025. A similar deal in the future could force Stake to remove its sponsorship logos for the British Grand Prix. A precedent exists, as this is exactly what happened at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Sportsbet.io, which doesn’t have a UKGC license, sponsors the World Snooker Tour. Eleven tournaments were held in the U.K. in 2026 as part of the tour.
Online Advertising Left Untouched
The proposed ban would apply only to physical forms of sponsorship and advertising. This includes kit sponsorships, pitch-side billboards, tournament programs, venue infrastructure, and the naming rights of leagues, events, and venues.
The government said extending the restrictions to online advertising and digital sponsorships would require primary legislation and that it does not currently believe there is sufficient evidence to justify such a move.
However, it left the door open to further action if necessary.
White Label Agreements Are Exempt From the Ban
The government does not currently intend to extend the proposed ban to operators that continue to operate under lawful white-label agreements. However, it said it will work with the UKGC to determine whether additional oversight is needed.
Under white-label arrangements, a UKGC-licensed operator offers remote gambling under a third-party brand.
The government’s announcement specifically mentioned TGP Europe. The company provided white-label services for many overseas partners, some of which sponsored EPL clubs. TGP’s exit left white-label partners, such as Stake, without U.K. licenses.
The consultation could have implications for sports teams currently negotiating sponsorship agreements with unlicensed operators.
Recently, several clubs continued to sign short-term agreements with gambling operators ahead of the incoming front-of-shirt sponsorship ban. To avoid the voluntary EPL ban on front-of-shirt gambling advertising, some have signed deals for stadium or other exposure.
Whatever the outcome of the consultations, stakeholders have until September 9 to submit their views on the matter.
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