Entain has called on the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) to stop football clubs from accepting illegal gambling sponsorships as part of new regulations in England.
The IFR was set up as the statutory regulator of English men’s football last year to ensure the financial stability and sustainability of clubs.
The IFR has been seeking views on a new licensing regime for the top five flights of English football, including on prohibiting clubs from accepting income “connected to serious criminal conduct”.
Entain, the owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, asked the IGR to confirm if that proposal covers unlicensed operators sponsoring clubs in England.
Entain also asked the IFR to publish guidance for clubs on setting out due diligence and notification obligations around gambling sponsorship.
The London-listed operator’s involvement comes after it submitted evidence as part of the consultation, which closed earlier this week.
Ladbrokes counts Liverpool as a partner while Coral is a sponsor of Championship side Birmingham City.
Premier League clubs Everton (Stake), Sunderland (W88), Fulham (SBOTOP), Bournemouth (BJ88) and Burnley (96.com) all hold front-of-shirt deals with operators that are not licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.
Unlicensed operators and the wider black market are becoming of increasing concern in the UK.
The government has handed the Gambling Commission £26m to support its fight against the illegal sector. The regulator is also hiring a head of illegal markets to spearhead the efforts.
A recent report commissioned by the Betting and Gaming Council claimed unlicensed gambling sponsorship will account for more than half of all UK sports sponsorship spend by October 2027.
Premier League clubs will stop sporting gambling companies as front-of-shirt sponsors from next season as part of a voluntary agreement.
Gambling firms will still be able to sponsor sleeves, training kits and other commercial entities attached to clubs.
Stella David, Entain CEO, said: “Premier League clubs are being sponsored by criminal gambling firms.
“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 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.
“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.”
David has already written to Premier League CEO Richard Masters this year to call for the league to push back on unlicensed sponsorship.
The post Entain calls on English football regulator to ban unlicensed gambling sponsorships first appeared on EGR Intel.
Ladbrokes and Coral parent asks the Independent Football Regulator if draft regulations will include a block on clubs making commercial deals with illegal firms
The post Entain calls on English football regulator to ban unlicensed gambling sponsorships first appeared on EGR Intel.