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The UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is preparing to open a consultation this week on proposals to bar unlicensed gambling operators from sponsoring British sports teams, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Guardian.
The move follows a months-long delay that critics say allowed offshore betting brands to secure new deals with Premier League clubs before any restriction could take effect.
Plans to remove unlicensed gambling operators from football sponsorship arrangements have been on hold since February, when DCMS indicated that a formal review would begin in the spring. The consultation, now expected to launch this week, comes several months after that initial commitment.
During the intervening period, Everton FC agreed to a three-year sleeve sponsorship arrangement with Stake.com, an operator based in Australia that does not hold a UK gambling license. The agreement proceeded despite guidance from the Gambling Commission advising clubs to reconsider partnerships of this kind.
Industry warning preceded the deal
Entain CEO Stella David wrote to Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross in early June, before the Everton deal was announced, cautioning that sponsorship agreements with unlicensed firms were “surely now being finalised.”
David’s letter also raised concerns that a continued absence of government action could be read by clubs as tacit approval to pursue new arrangements for the coming season, and she recommended that the Premier League be notified that any resulting sponsorship deals could be subject to cancellation mid-season if the consultation leads to a ban.
Separately, the letter argued that unlicensed operators taking bets illegally in the UK divert tax revenue from the Treasury, benefit organized crime networks, and pose risks to consumer welfare. There is no indication that David’s comments referred specifically to Stake, and no wrongdoing by the company has been alleged.
Calls for Burnham to address the deal
According to The Guardian, an unnamed senior industry source called on Andy Burnham, mayor of Manchester and a lifelong Everton supporter, to publicly criticize his club’s arrangement with Stake, pointing to Burnham’s history as a vocal critic of the gambling sector since becoming mayor.
The source argued that Burnham should speak out given his prominence, warning that the prime minister could ultimately be pictured wearing an Everton shirt bearing the crypto operator’s branding, and called on Burnham to denounce the club’s arrangement unequivocally.
Regulatory background on Stake
Stake exited the UK market last year after its white-label partner, TGP Europe, relinquished its operating license amid a Gambling Commission review.
The review followed scrutiny of promotional content associated with the Stake brand, including material posted by adult performer Bonnie Blue, who described in one video a stunt in which she pursued sexual encounters with students in their first year at Nottingham Trent University.
Stake’s branding had also reportedly appeared in other viral social media videos, including some depicting violence and other graphic content.
After the license was surrendered, the Gambling Commission warned sports organizations and their executives that they could face prosecution for promoting unlicensed gambling businesses transacting with UK consumers. Stake has stated it does not accept bets from UK-based customers.
Current law does not bar unlicensed operators, including several brands that market primarily to football audiences in East Asia, from entering sponsorship agreements with British clubs.
The forthcoming consultation is intended to gather expert input on closing that gap.
Stake previously sponsored Everton’s shirtfront before new rules took effect for the 2026-27 season under a voluntary agreement between the Premier League and the government banning front-of-shirt sponsorships from casino and sportsbook operators, including licensed ones.
That change has shifted sponsorship activity toward shirt sleeves and training kits, while pitchside advertising remains unaffected by the rule.
A DCMS spokesperson said unlicensed operators should not be permitted to sponsor major football clubs, noting that such arrangements can raise an operator’s profile among fans without providing the assurances that come with UK regulatory oversight. The spokesperson confirmed that the consultation on banning unlicensed sponsorship deals in British sport would be published soon.