Michael Kenrick 09/09/2026 35comments  |  Jump to last

Stake.com, who are not licensed to operate in the UK, no longer appears on the front of Everton shirts...
(Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

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.”

» Read the full article at The Guardian

Reader Comments (35)

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John Collins
1 Posted 08/09/2026 at 13:33:30
So the Government are looking at legislation to stop gambling companies sponsoring Premier League clubs now.
Kevin Molloy
2 Posted 09/09/2026 at 10:59:23
Given this government introduced the gambling disease with their Gambling Act, I'm not holding my breath there will be any teeth to that, John.

Footy pulling millions into gambling every day. Isn't that marvellous. And when they aren't doing that, they are trying to pull young men into the army, no doubt to go and get murdered in Ukraine in the next few years.

Just surprised there isn't a fast link to porn, I'm sure that's coming though.

New Labour, the gift that keeps on giving.
Andrew Ellams
3 Posted 09/09/2026 at 11:09:55
Kevin, what crackpot websites do you read in your spare time?
Kevin Molloy
4 Posted 09/09/2026 at 11:14:48
Andrew
you mean besides ToffeeWeb?
Paul Hewitt
5 Posted 09/09/2026 at 11:55:32
Maybe they should stop selling alcohol and fast food a football grounds as well.
Kevin Molloy
6 Posted 09/09/2026 at 11:59:17
Addicting people to gambling through their favourite team is a much more concerning development than grabbing a burger at half time Paul.
Paul Hewitt
7 Posted 09/09/2026 at 12:11:43
Kevin. That depends. The money spent on the NHS on obesity runs into hundreds of millions. Stop selling fast food at grounds would help.
Kevin Molloy
8 Posted 09/09/2026 at 14:08:14
Ask AI what harms have befallen society since the Gambling Act was introduced, Raymond, and then ask about the statistics. I think you'll be surprised.

There has always been gambling, but formerly it was tightly regulated as people used to understand the damage it caused.

And credit cards? Yes, I'd ban them tomorrow.
Tony Abrahams
9 Posted 09/09/2026 at 14:12:54
The government aren’t worried about people who can’t control their spending, Raymond, but they’re very interested in knowing what you’re spending your money on thoug. Hence the reason why they won’t ban credit cards!

Seriously, I walked into town after the game on Sunday and eventually found myself by the Pier Head. It was a nice day, so I asked my daughter if she wanted to go on the ferry cruise and have a look at the stadium from the water.

She said Yes, so we went inside to get our tickets. "We don’t accept cash," I was informed. In my job, I am forced to accept both, which is only fair because life should always be about choice.

It’s only about choice when it suits the people in control though and I don’t think a lot of the human race actually realise how much power they’re giving away, just accepting things that little by little, are helping the bastards to control us more and more.
Eric Myles
10 Posted 09/09/2026 at 14:16:58
Kevin,

I see you ignored the alcoholism reference in Paul's post while completely not understanding the health problems with obesity.

Are you a skinny teetotaller?
Darren Hind
11 Posted 09/09/2026 at 14:34:39
Lisa Nandy (Culture Secretary) is on a mission to ban Premier League clubs wearing the names of gambling firms on their shirts.

She's lobbying MPs of all parties to support her.
Darren Hind
12 Posted 09/09/2026 at 14:39:38
BTW: She's got two hopes. Footy and Gambling have been inextricably linked since Dave Hickson opened a betting shop
Raymond Fox
13 Posted 09/09/2026 at 14:40:51
Kevin, you can't ban things because a very small percentage of people can't control themselves.

You can go off the rails in many aspects of your life; as I say, it's down to the individual.
Eric Myles
14 Posted 09/09/2026 at 14:44:08
Tony, I know the conspiracy theorists say that governments want to control what we spend our money on, and the resultant abuse is evident in Canada with Trudeau and the truckers, and in China with social credits. But the government may just be looking at controlling business tax and VAT

Here in Viet Nam most businesses (that I use anyway) preferred payment by QR code but when the government started linking it to tax liability they quickly changed back to "cash please."

I'm sure in your job if you're paid in cash there's an opportunity to not declare it? (I know there is!)
Kevin Molloy
15 Posted 09/09/2026 at 14:44:15
You can actually, Raymond, it was the situation we had prior to the Act.

Have a look at the link below for the damage caused by Tony Blair introducing this legislation.

Damage from Gambling
Andrew Ellams
16 Posted 09/09/2026 at 14:49:50
Raymond, does that go for heroin and cocaine too?
Kevin Molloy
17 Posted 09/09/2026 at 14:52:01
if you watch the first 15 minutes of this vid, it documents the terrible damage gambling has wrought on America.

Trump's Mission to Poison America With Gambling, Prostitution, and Drugs. Saagar Enjeti Explains.

They go on to explore how this genie was let out of the bottle. And would you believe, it was us? Our liberalisation of gambling acted as an incentive for the liberalisation across the pond. We did that. Or rather, Tone did.
Paul Hewitt
18 Posted 09/09/2026 at 14:54:08
Let's ban everything that's bad for you.
Sean Mitchell
19 Posted 09/09/2026 at 15:01:46
Maybe the government should focus on the open fuckin borders than this. Spineless wankers.

I wonder if betting companies sponsored the boats. 🧐
Kevin Molloy
20 Posted 09/09/2026 at 15:19:23
Eric
I don't consider these harms to be of equal standing, but yes fair enough obesity and booze are problems. But banning burgers and booze, no I wouldn't be up for that. As said above, we don't' want the government making all of our decisions.
Raymond Fox
21 Posted 09/09/2026 at 15:20:53
Andrew, I don't think you can put gambling along side those two.

If you want to ban something that causes a great deal more trouble then you would ban alcohol. I like a bet and a drink but I do it sensibly, if others as I say can't control their actions who's to blame.

The government gather too much tax off alcohol to ban it, that's one of their gripes with gambling -- they are missing out on tax they think they should be getting.

Where's my first post on this thread? There was nothing objectionable on it.
Oh, I see it now, you have moved it to the other thread about Friedkins increasing the share numbers- why is the question?
James Marshall
23 Posted 09/09/2026 at 15:28:42
We're currently sponsored by CMC markets which is just another betting company anyway.

Trading they call it - but it's still betting, just under a different guise.
Les Callan
24 Posted 09/09/2026 at 15:46:52
Sean @ 19. It seems that the government are doing something about the boats. The numbers are 43 % down on last year.
Alan McGuffog
25 Posted 09/09/2026 at 15:50:30
Les, the trouble is they're 43% bigger 😃
Raymond Fox
26 Posted 09/09/2026 at 15:51:45
Very true James.
Eric Myles
27 Posted 09/09/2026 at 15:52:01
Raymond #21, and the biggest killer of all that the government make money on and cripples the NHS?

Cigarettes.
Les Callan
28 Posted 09/09/2026 at 15:54:01
No Alan. 43 % down on numbers of people, not boats.
Alan J Thompson
29 Posted 09/09/2026 at 15:55:48
Given some of the comments, does this mean that gambling debts are now recognized and legally enforceable in UK and to what extent have credit cards affected this?
Steve Brown
30 Posted 09/09/2026 at 16:02:37
Les, yes small boats arrivals are down 43% compared to the same period in 2025.

But best stop stating facts, it makes certain people uncomfortable.

God forbid we mention that net migration is down 48% in the last 12 months or that asylum applications are down 21% in the same period.
Alan McGuffog
31 Posted 09/09/2026 at 16:04:40
Kevin..the same Tony Blair who extended pub and club hours to make us more " continental " in our attitude towards swally.
I live in a small.market town in Cheshire and every Sunday morning around 02.00 is just like being in Paris and Rome...the gay tinkle of broken glass, the jolly sounds of ambulance sirens, the shimmer of the blue lights from the police vans. What a pillock he is !
And then he got a job sorting out the middle east !
Raymond Fox
32 Posted 09/09/2026 at 16:09:24
They have been legally enforceable for quite some now Alan @ 29. You can't now bet with a credit card, only with a debit card. I can see the sense it that, that's only come in recently.
Andrew Ellams
33 Posted 09/09/2026 at 16:10:03
Alan, considering pubs are closing down all over the country because the younger generation are drinking less and less you story seems somewhat muddled again. Also, I turned 18 under Thatcher and I was drinking until 2am at a weekend back then.
Paul Hewitt
34 Posted 09/09/2026 at 16:10:30
Still 43% to much.
Alan McGuffog
35 Posted 09/09/2026 at 16:13:08
Andrew I read your posts and you seem an articulate and decent chap. I doubt you'd be kicking seven bells out of people just because you were full of ale
Kevin Molloy
36 Posted 09/09/2026 at 16:16:52
to be fair to him Alan he's on his way to billionaire status for staying on the right side of big business, so there's that.
Neck deep in foreign wars (with all the civil liberties disasters flowing from that),
trebling of the national debt.
increasing immigration to ten times it's historic rate.
Gambling epidemic.
And still now leading the charge to mass unemployment thanks to AI.
and thats' without going near the constitutional vandalism.

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