Malta Gaming Authority confirms it does not licence new Birmingham City sponsor GOD55
The Asia-facing casino operator claimed to have an MGA online gambling licence.
Malta.- The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has confirmed that it has not issued a licence to GOD55, the new sponsor of Birmingham City FC. The Asia-facing casino operator claimed to have an MGA licence, but the Maltese regulator said this is not the case.
The MGA said in a statement that it was “hereby declaring that it has no connection” with 17 domains run by the GO55 brand, including www.god55.asia. It said any reference to the MGA or gaming licences issued by the Maltese Gaming Authority is false and misleading. It warned players that “the activities of unlicensed entities are unregulated and do not provide the necessary safeguards delineated by virtue of the framework, making transactions with such entities risky for consumers.”
Many of the brand’s domains are inaccessible from the UK, but some are. These describe the operator as the “most trusted casino” in Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Birmingham City is likely to have appealed to GO55 due to its recent performance, which has put it on course to top the League One table, while NFL star Tom Brady’s stake has increased interest in the club. There have long been sponsorship deals between English football clubs and Asia-facing gambling operators, but there has been an increase in the past couple of years ahead of the upcoming ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship in the UK.
Many deals have been criticised in the media, particularly as some operators do not have licences from the Gambling Commission or another recognised regulator. Examples include DE.BET’s sponsorship of Wolverhampton Wanderers, BC.GAME’s deal with Leicester City, and Kaiyun Sports’ deals with Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace.
In February, the Gambling Commission wrote to Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City, warning of the “risks of promoting unlawful gambling websites.” It sought assurance from the clubs that they had carried out due diligence to ensure consumers in Britain cannot transact with the unlicensed sites. The move came after Kaiyun’s white label licence via Isle of Man-based TGP Europe lapsed.
The UK gambling minister, Baroness Twycross, has mentioned plans to review the status of white-label gambling licences. She aims to collect evidence on the practice and may propose changes to the current rules. Currently, clubs sponsored by unlicensed operators must ensure geo-blocking of gambling sites and must conduct due diligence to ensure transactions cannot be made from Britain, otherwise, they could be found to be promoting unlicensed gambling.
