Premier League clubs issued with warning by the Gambling Commission

A number of Premier League clubs have been issued with a warning by the Gambling Commission, according to a report by BBC Sport.

This is over their relationship with an unlicensed gambling business, the likes of Bournemouth, Fulham, Newcastle, Wolves and promoted Burnley have been warned by the Gambling Commission for their sponsorship deals with TGP Europe, an unlicensed gambling business.

bj88 (Bournemouth), SBOTOP (Fulham), DEBET (Wolves), and 96.com (Burnley) all currently appear as matchday shirt sponsors, while FUN88 had been Newcastle’s soccer jerseys sponsor between 2017 to 2023, before becoming the club’s “official Asian betting partner”.

The company responsible for multiple gambling partners in the Premier League – including the main shirt sponsors of Bournemouth, Fulham and Wolves – no longer has a UK license.

This means all ads and logos displayed at matches from now on are promoting unlicensed gambling. pic.twitter.com/8M2h2tTguF

— The Big Step (@the_bigstep) May 16, 2025

TGP Europe, which operates brands like bj88, SBOTOP, DEBET, and 96.com, surrendered its British licence after failing to comply with anti-money laundering rules and partner checks.

The clubs were sent a letter, in which they were told they warned they “may be liable to prosecution, and if convicted, face imprisonment and/or a fine… if they promote unlicensed gambling businesses that transact with consumers in Great Britain”.

Everton (Stake), Nottingham Forest (kaiyun), and Leicester (BC.GAME) were previously cautioned about similar TGP Europe sponsorships.

In February, the Gambling Commission contacted Everton, Nottingham Forest, and Leicester about three other TGP Europe websites that had already lost their licence.

Stake (Everton), kaiyun (Nottingham Forest), and BC.GAME (Leicester) have all remained on the respective shirts since.

TGP Europe faced a £3.3m penalty and was required to make significant improvements.

“Advertising is grooming the next generation of gamblers”

“People are dying because of gambling harm”

Well said @annieashton2705 & @CliveTyldesley in this @channel5_tv report on the news that gambling ads in the Premier League have trebled pic.twitter.com/lyt09DZyNh

— Gambling with Lives (@GambleWithLives) September 27, 2024

The Gambling Commission says it is seeking assurances “that consumers in Great Britain cannot transact with the unlicensed sites”.

“Clubs will be asked to demonstrate that they have assurance that any steps to geo-block the sites are effective, recognising that some blocking can be easily bypassed by use of tools such as a virtual private network”, the Gambling Commission added.

In a letter to clubs which the BBC Sport have included in their report, the Gambling Commission wrote: “You will want to continue to satisfy yourself that your sponsorship and associated advertising arrangements are legal and do not present a reputational risk to your sport.

“We would advise that any organisation engaging in sponsorship from brands that do not hold a Commission licence manage their exposure to risk. This includes satisfying themselves as to the source of the funds for the arrangement.”

More than half of this season’s top flight teams have a gambling company as their shirt sponsor.

Clubs have agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of their matchday shirts by the end of the 2025-26 season.

The Coalition to End Gambling Ads raised concerns about TGP Europe’s practices with the Gambling Commission.

Director Will Prochaska said: “Action against TGP Europe is welcome, but warnings against advertising unlicensed gambling companies ring hollow.

“Premier League clubs – including Everton and Leicester – have been advertising unlicensed sites for months.”

The Gambling Commission’s head of enforcement John Pierce said: “We have already been in contact with several football clubs to highlight the impact of the withdrawal from the market by TGP and make clear that we will be carrying out checks – without further notice – to ensure these sites remain blocked.

“We will also conduct ongoing spot checks as necessary to ensure they are not accessible to consumers in Great Britain by any means. Should any of these sites be available to GB consumers, we will take appropriate action.

“It is essential that football clubs play their part in protecting fans and GB consumers who may be exposed to advertising of these sites through their sponsorship arrangements from harm or exploitation. All licensed operators with similar arrangements to TGP should take notice of the action taken in this case.”

In 2023, the Premier League issued a statement on gambling sponsorship: “Clubs agree to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of their matchday shirts, the first UK sports league to do so
Premier League clubs have today collectively agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of clubs’ matchday shirts, becoming the first sports league in the UK to take such a measure voluntarily in order to reduce gambling advertising.

“The announcement follows an extensive consultation involving the League, its clubs and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as part of the Government’s ongoing review of current gambling legislation.

“The Premier League is also working with other sports on the development of a new code for responsible gambling sponsorship.

“To assist clubs with their transition away from shirt-front gambling sponsorship, the collective agreement will begin at the end of the 2025/26 season.”