The Premier League is facing a potential loss of lucrative sponsors if unlicensed gambling firms are banned. Ten clubs could lose tens of millions of pounds next year, according to The Guardian Football. The league is understood to be lobbying against a ban on the grounds that the services offered by primarily Asia-facing betting companies and online casinos are not available in the UK.
The number of top-flight clubs who have commercial relationships with unlicensed operators has risen from six to 10 over the summer, analysis conducted by The Guardian has found. Everton announced a new three-year sleeve sponsorship deal with the crypto casino Stake.com, and Fulham moved their sponsorship with SBOTOP from the players' shirts to their training kit. One company, 8XBet, which is licensed in the Caribbean island of Curaçao, has deals with Chelsea, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Ipswich and Coventry.
The government has moved to clamp down on unlicensed operators because they do not offer the customer protections such as affordability checks and spending limits provided by regulated betting firms. The government plans to introduce the ban next year, although it will face pressure from the Premier League to allow existing contracts such as Everton's to run their course.