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The UK government is set to initiate a consultation aimed at regulating unlicensed casinos that sponsor football teams. This move follows criticism regarding the delay in implementing stricter regulations, which has allowed offshore gambling companies to secure lucrative sponsorship deals with Premier League clubs, including Everton's recent agreement with Stake.com.
Since February, progress on plans to remove unlicensed gambling operators from the football sponsorship landscape has stalled. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) had indicated that a review would commence in the spring, but no further developments have been reported. The Gambling Commission has raised concerns about the implications of these sponsorships, highlighting potential risks associated with unregulated gambling activities.
The upcoming consultation is expected to address these issues and explore ways to enhance oversight of gambling sponsorships in sports, ensuring that only licensed operators can engage in such partnerships. This initiative reflects growing public and regulatory scrutiny over the influence of gambling in sports, particularly as concerns about gambling addiction and its societal impacts continue to rise.
Source: www.theguardian.com – https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jul/12/uk-unlicensed-casinos-football-sponsorship-gambling-commission