The British government is preparing to consult on a ban that would prevent gambling companies without a United Kingdom license from sponsoring sports teams, including clubs in soccer’s Premier League.
Under the proposal, only operators holding a UK license would be permitted to enter sponsorship agreements with sports clubs across Great Britain. The move would halt arrangements involving companies that are not licensed domestically, including partnerships structured through white-label agreements with locally licensed firms.
The consultation, scheduled to launch this spring, is intended to “mitigate the risks associated with the illegal market and help eliminate unfair competition for properly regulated firms.”
Ministers have expressed concern that unlicensed operators have been linked to organized crime and do not comply with requirements designed to protect consumers, such as mandatory financial vulnerability checks, responsible advertising standards, and fair contract terms. Authorities have also raised concerns about weaker data protections, which they say leave customers exposed to fraud and identity theft.
Several Premier League clubs currently display branding from operators not licensed in Great Britain. While such arrangements are not unlawful provided the gambling services are not accessible to UK consumers, ministers argue that the visibility associated with top-tier sports could direct fans toward sites operating outside the Gambling Commission’s regulatory framework.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “When placing a bet on the big match, fans deserve to know the sites they’re using are properly regulated, with the right protections in place.”
She added: “It’s not right that unlicensed gambling operators can sponsor some of our biggest football clubs, raising their profile and potentially drawing fans towards sites that don’t meet our regulatory standards.”
The proposed restrictions would apply to all forms of sponsorship, including shirt sleeves and other branding placements. From the end of the 2025-26 season, the Premier League will voluntarily remove gambling sponsorship from the front of match shirts.
However, current rules still allow operators, including those without a UK license, to place logos on sleeves and secure other promotional visibility within the league.
The issue gained renewed attention in February 2025 when Stake lost its UK operating license but continued to sponsor Premier League club Everton. Other clubs, including Bournemouth, Sunderland, and Wolverhampton Wanderers, have entered shirt sponsorship agreements involving white-label partners.
The government has stated that clubs are not presently acting unlawfully by maintaining sponsorship arrangements with unlicensed operators under existing rules. Nonetheless, officials say there is a strong case for ending such partnerships altogether to reduce the risk of British consumers being drawn to sites beyond domestic regulatory protections.
Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross said: “We know the real harm that unregulated gambling can cause, exploiting vulnerable people and leaving consumers without the protections they deserve.”
In January, the government established an Illegal Gambling Taskforce bringing together major companies including Google, Mastercard, TikTok, and Visa, alongside law enforcement and gambling bodies. Led by Baroness Twycross, the taskforce is focused on stopping illegal operators from advertising on social media platforms, preventing payments to unlicensed sites, and improving cross-agency collaboration.
Baroness Twycross added: “This consultation, alongside the work of our Illegal Gambling Taskforce, shows how seriously this government is taking the issue. We will not hesitate to act where we see people being put at risk.”
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/02/24/117746-uk-government-weighs-ban-on-unlicensed-gambling-firms-sponsoring-premier-league-teams
