Entain urges football regulator to ban unlicensed gambling sponsors

Entain has called on the Independent Football Regulator to stop Premier League clubs accepting sponsorship and advertising from gambling operators that are not licensed in the UK.The Ladbrokes and Coral owner made the request in its response to the regulator’s second licensing consultation on a new club licensing regime across the top five tiers of English men’s football.Entain chief executive Stella David said: “Premier League clubs are being sponsored by criminal gambling firms.“The Independent Football Regulator can stop this tomorrow by simply acknowledging that unlicensed gambling companies targeting UK customers through English football are breaking the law – plain and simple.”Entain is asking the regulator to confirm, in guidance, that income from unlicensed operators constitutes funds “connected to serious criminal conduct” under the regulator’s draft licensing code.It said six Premier League clubs are currently sponsored by unlicensed operators, arguing those firms commit a criminal offence under section 33 of the Gambling Act 2005 each time they accept a bet from a British consumer.The company linked the issue to black market growth, citing research it said shows 1.5 million Britons stake £4.3bn a year on unlicensed sites and that the channel is being used to reach younger audiences and self-excluded gamblers.Entain also argued football is a key acquisition route for illegal operators, pointing to forecasts that unlicensed gambling sponsorship could account for more than half of UK sports sponsorship spend by October 2027.Alongside the guidance change, Entain’s submission proposes a board attestation within annual club declarations, requiring directors to verify the licence status of any gambling operator involved in a significant commercial arrangement.It also wants stronger governance code language to make reputational risk from partnerships a standing board responsibility, plus general guidance for all licensed clubs on due diligence and notification obligations for gambling partners.Entain said a club-by-club discretionary condition approach would be insufficient, describing the risk as market-wide and therefore requiring consistent rules and enforcement.The intervention lands ahead of a planned government consultation on banning unlicensed gambling operators from sponsoring British sports teams, with Entain arguing the football regulator should act sooner rather than wait for that process.Entain said it has also written to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters calling for an immediate voluntary ban on sponsorship and advertising by unlicensed operators ahead of the 2026–27 season.The regulator’s licensing regime is still in development, with the next steps likely to include publication of finalised guidance and licence conditions following consultation responses.