Entain Calls for Ban on Unlicensed Gambling Sponsors

The Ladbrokes Coral owner says the government should act now, even if clubs have to change kits mid-season.

Entain, which owns Ladbrokes and Coral, has again urged the UK government to ban gambling operators without a UK licence from sponsoring British sport straight away, SBC News reports.

Chief Executive Stella David said the government made clear in February that it would bring in a ban and should do so immediately, even if that meant clubs ordering new kit mid-season. “Inconvenience is not an excuse for inaction,” she said. Entain also wrote to 10 Premier League clubs linked to unregulated gambling companies earlier this month.

Online advertising too

Entain wants the ban to cover online and social media advertising as well, citing the government’s own consultation: 22% of people who use unlicensed operators first came across them through social media, compared with 13% through sponsorship. It also pointed to research suggesting four in five consumers cannot identify an unlicensed operator.

According to SBC News, DCMS has said a ban on unlicensed operators in sport, if approved, is unlikely to take effect before the 2027/28 Premier League season.

Unlicensed sites do not offer the protections a UK licence requires, including GAMSTOP and a free, independent complaints route. You can check any casino’s licence on the Gambling Commission’s public register.