Entain: 11 Premier League Clubs Tied to Unlicensed Brands

Entain, the owner of prominent UK licensed betting brands Ladbrokes, Coral, and BetMGM, has formally called on the UK Government to immediately ban non-UK-licensed gambling operators from sponsoring British sports teams, instead of the proposed ban that will come into force in August 2027. The company made the call on Friday, September 18, after the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) closed its consultation on the ban.

Entain’s research indicates that 11 of the 20 Premier League clubs in the 2026/27 season maintain active sponsorship or advertising agreements with gambling entities holding no Remote Operating Licence from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). This includes Stake on Everton’s sleeve and a brand new deal at Sunderland, and represents an increase from the Government’s initial baseline estimate of eight clubs during the 2025/26 campaign.

Entain says the arrangements run “from shirt sleeves to training kits, stadium branding and perimeter boards”, and that the branding typically turns up in match-day TV coverage, including replays on the BBC’s Match of the Day.

Shuffle Is the Newest Name on a Sleeve

On September 11, Sunderland named Shuffle, a crypto casino and sportsbook, as its Official Sleeve Partner in a multi-year deal. Shuffle’s own site says it’s operated by Natural Nine B.V. in Curaçao and licensed by the Curaçao Gaming Control Board. It has no UK license.

Sunderland’s chief commercial officer, Scott McCubbin, said: “This partnership gives Shuffle a significant platform to build awareness internationally, while allowing us to create innovative content and experiences for our supporters around the world.” Shuffle co-founder Noah Dummett said the two brands “share a lot of the same values.”

The deal goes beyond a logo. It covers exclusive content, fan activations and influencer marketing, and the branding is set to appear in the Premier League, Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Europa League.

The Rest of Entain’s List

Stake is still on Everton’s kits even though it stopped operating in the UK in early 2025, amid a Gambling Commission investigation into its advertising. Other clubs with unlicensed partners include Chelsea with 8XBet, Tottenham Hotspur with VSBet and Nottingham Forest with FUN88.

City AM has reported more. Newcastle United and Aston Villa also have deals with 8XBet, Crystal Palace has one with Chexx.bet, and Fulham has an agreement with SBOTOP.

Why Entain Won’t Wait for 2027

The DCMS consultation ran from July 15 to September 9. Its preferred option is a ban from a fixed date in August 2027, ahead of the 2027/28 football season, which the government says should limit commercial disruption and give clubs time to find legitimate replacements. Entain’s objection is simple: that leaves unlicensed brands on Premier League kits for another full season.

Entain chief executive Stella David didn’t soften it. “Premier League clubs that have struck new deals with unlicensed gambling operators knew the risks,” she said. “The government made clear in February that it would bring in a ban and it should do so immediately: even if that means clubs ordering new kit mid-season. Inconvenience is not an excuse for inaction.”

The Loophole the Ban Would Close

Under current law, a club can take money from an unlicensed operator as long as that operator’s services can’t be accessed from Great Britain. The consultation spells out the weak point itself: “Unlicensed operators prevent access to their services by geo-blocking their websites. However, this can be circumvented by consumers using a virtual private network (VPN).”

The same document estimated that about 40% of Premier League clubs had unlicensed deals in 2025/26, which works out to the eight clubs Entain is comparing against.

The Money Behind the Argument

Entain cites H2 Gambling Capital forecasts that UK black market stakes will nearly double from £17 billion in 2025 to more than £33 billion by 2028. It says offshore operators don’t apply the same player protection and anti-money laundering standards licensed firms must follow, and that its own research suggests over 80% of consumers can’t “confidently distinguish” licensed operators from unlicensed ones.

It wants the ban wider, too. Citing the consultation, Entain says 22% of people who use unlicensed operators first came across them through social media, against 13% through sponsorship, so it wants online and digital advertising covered alongside shirts and boards.

Not a Neutral Voice

Entain isn’t a bystander here. Its Ladbrokes and Coral brands compete for the same UK customers, and it has pressed this issue since the consultation opened in July, when David called unlicensed operators “often little more than fronts” for organized crime. Earlier this month it wrote to 10 Premier League clubs tied to unlicensed brands. But its numbers line up with the government’s own, and the consultation says the government wants the ban in place “as quickly as possible.”

Under the timeline the government prefers, Shuffle’s logo can stay on Sunderland’s sleeve for the whole of the 2026/27 season.