Despite growing opposition to gambling sponsorship of Premier League clubs, the number that have sponorship with companies not licensed in the UK has increased from 6 to 10 over the summer.
Everton were party to a voluntary agreement that saw one of these companies, Stake.com, removed from the front of Everton shirts at the end of last season; however, sponsorship continues from Stake.com with their logo emblazoned on Everton shirt sleeves.
An 8-week public consultation on proposals to ban sponsorship from gambling companies not licensed in the UK closes on Wednesday, with licensed operators such as Ladbrokes and William Hill pitted against the Premier League in a battle that could cost some clubs tens of millions of pounds.
The league is understood to be lobbying against a ban on the grounds that the services offered by primarily Asia-facing betting companies and online casinos are not available in the UK, although anyone with a VPN can open an account and place a bet in minutes.
Everton announced a new 3-year sleeve sponsorship deal with the crypto casino Stake.com, and Fulham moved their sponsorship with SBOTOP from the players’ shirts to their training kit, while eight other clubs including Chelsea and Tottenham have commercial deals that include perimeter advertising at their stadiums and/or player branding.
The government has moved to clamp down on unlicensed operators because they do not offer the customer protections such as affordability checks and spending limits provided by regulated betting firms, and the growth of the unregulated market has been linked to financial harm, addiction and suicide.
One of the UK’s biggest betting companies, Entain, which owns Ladbrokes, has written to all 10 Premier League clubs linked to unlicensed operators this week and its letter to Everton makes reference to Burnham’s position.
“The risk to football, sport integrity and society is real,” the letter states. “Unlicensed operators are not required to offer the safeguards that licensed operators must, including Gamstop self-exclusion, deposit and spending limits, and affordability checks.
“This removes the protections most likely to prevent consumer harm, meaning vulnerable customers unfairly pay the price for the partnerships that their clubs make.
“Everton’s association with Stake.com is particularly at odds with the prime minister’s longstanding support for the club. It seems unimaginable that, having made his government’s opposition to unlicensed gambling agreements clear, Andy Burnham would become a billboard for unregulated gaming by wearing the club’s current strip.”