Entain takes call for ban on unlicensed gambling sponsorship to new football regulator
The operator wants the IFR to speed up a proposed ban on deals with companies that don’t have Gambling Commission licences.
UK.- The FTSE-listed gambling operator Entain has renewed its push for action against the promotion of unlicensed gambling in English football. It’s called on the newly established Independent Football Regulator (IFR) to push for a ban on sponsorship deals with unlicensed gambling operators.
The British government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport has already signalled that it intends to propose such a ban. It announced in February that a consultation would be held in spring, but that’s yet to happen, leading Entain to make its case through other avenues. CEO Stella David previously urged Premier League chief Richard Masters to act on the matter.
Concerns about the visibility of unlicensed operators in English sport, especially the Premier League, have been voiced across the political spectrum. While issues that affect the entire regulated industry tend to be promoted by the lobby group the Betting and Gaming Council, Entain is positioning itself as a leading voice on this issue after making tackling the black market a central pillar of its 2026 corporate agenda.
The Premier League voluntarily agreed to remove gambling sponsorship from the front of shirts starting from the coming season. However, under the voluntary commitment, gambling sponsorship would still be permissible in other locations, such as shirt sleeves.
The DCMS has recognised that this means that unlicensed operators can still gain a “major presence in the country’s most-watched sports league”. It said in February that it would propose new rules to limit sponsorship to Gambling Commission-licensed companies only, but Entain is pushing for swifter action in time for the start of the new season in August.
“Premier League clubs are being sponsored by criminal gambling firms,” David told the IFR. “The Independent Football Regulator can stop this tomorrow by simply acknowledging that unlicensed gambling companies targeting UK customers through English football are breaking the law – plain and simple.”
The IFR was created under the 2025 Football Governance Act. There was an attempt to add a complete ban on gambling sponsorships to the bill during its passage, but legislators ultimately decided that the issue would require separate legislation if such a ban was desired.
It’s not clear whether the IFR will wade into the sponsorship debate at all, but Entain has pointed to the body’s remit to prevent clubs from taking money linked to criminal activity. It argues that unlicensed firms breach the 2005 Gambling Act whenever UK customers place bets with them.
The company, which owns Ladbrokes and Cora, has put four requests to the IFR. It wants the regulator to confirm that revenue from unlicensed operators constitutes funds tied to serious misconduct and to require directors to check the licence status of gambling partners. It’s also calling for a new governance code that requires boards to treat reputational risks from commercial deals as a governance issue and general guidelines on gambling partnerships.
“The regulator does not need any new powers, new legislation, or even a new rule to make this happen. In fact, it has already drafted one,” David said. “We are asking the regulator to define and apply it before the next season begins. The IFR was created to fix English football’s governance failures. This is one of them.”
Entain’s brands have avoided front-of-shirt sponsorships but do have other sponsorship deals, such as Ladbrokes with Liverpool. Unlicensed operators have continued to feature prominently in the past season, including some that lost their UK licences when TGP Europe shut down. Such firms maintain their deals by proving their domains are inaccessible to UK customers.
