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Entain plc, the owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, has urged the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) to stop Premier League clubs from taking sponsorship money from unlicensed gambling firms.
The company made its call during the IFR’s second licensing consultation, which is shaping new rules for the top five tiers of English men’s football. Entain argues that the regulator already has the power to act, since its draft rules prohibit clubs from accepting funds linked to serious criminal conduct. The group wants the IFR to make clear that this includes money from gambling operators who break UK law by taking bets without a licence.
Stella David, Chief Executive of Entain, 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.”
UK black market continues to grow despite multiple efforts
The issue is pressing because several clubs are already tied to unlicensed sponsors. Everton, Sunderland, Fulham, Bournemouth, and Burnley all have shirt deals with operators not licensed in the UK
Research shows that 18 of the 20 Premier League sides have displayed advertising for unlawful operators on LED boards this season. While the league has agreed to phase out front‑of‑shirt gambling sponsorships from next season, sleeve logos, pitchside boards and other commercial deals will remain.
According to the Betting and Gaming Council, the black market generates £4.3bn a year in Britain, and one in five young adults aged 18 to 24 has used illegal channels. The market is expected to hit £17bn soon, according to a report released by the H2 Gambling Capital last week.
Yield Sec estimates that 420,000 schoolchildren are gambling through social media, VPNs, and crypto wallets. The Gambling Commission reports that 67% of GamStop users are targeted by black market advertising.
Football has become one of the most effective gateways for these operators, with WARC projecting that unlicensed sponsorship will account for more than half of UK sports sponsorship spend by 2027. Yield Sec found that 92% of online betting content in certain social media categories directs users to unlicensed sites, while a 2024 audit by Deal Me Out showed that 84% of content creators promoted illegal operators.
Entain’s recommendations and wider regulatory debate
Entain’s submission to the IFR sets out four steps it believes are necessary. First, guidance should confirm that income from unlicensed gambling counts as funds linked to serious criminal conduct.
Second, boards should be required to verify the license status of gambling partners in annual declarations, with legal consequences for false attestations. Third, the Football Club Corporate Governance Code should be strengthened so that boards treat reputational risk from commercial partnerships as a standing responsibility
Finally, general guidance should be published for all clubs, setting out due diligence and notification duties. Entain argues that systemic risks demand systemic responses, not club‑by‑club conditions.
The company has also written to Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters, urging a voluntary ban on sponsorship and advertising by unlicensed operators before the 2026/27 season.
The IFR’s consultation comes ahead of a separate process by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on banning unlicensed gambling sponsorships in British sport, but Entain insists the regulator should act now rather than wait.
