Operators unlicensed in the UK will likely be barred from sponsoring British sports clubs, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has confirmed.
The government announced plans to launch a consultation this spring, which would explore various legal levers to drive unlicensed gambling companies away from visibility in British sports, particularly the Premier League.
A look back on TGP Europe…
Fans of British football will be familiar with the logos currently seen on the kits of Fulham (SBOTOP), Bournemouth (bj88), Wolves (DEBET), Burnley (96.com), and Stake.com (Everton), among others.
All five operators were previously under the umbrella of TGP Europe, a white-label company stationed in the Isle of Man, which held UK licenses on behalf of foreign operators like the listed Asia-facing ones.
In April last year, TGP Europe was forced to surrender its licence and withdrew from the UK after the Gambling Commission (UKGC) hammered it down with a £3.3m penalty. All UK domains managed by the firm shut down, although Stake had already withdrawn two months prior.
This saga essentially meant that Premier League clubs with an active TGP-licensed partner were now promoting unlicensed operators with no actual UK presence.
However, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has highlighted that these deals are not currently unlawful as long as the gambling services cannot be accessed by UK customers.
The Spring consultation will likely target this loophole and try to eradicate sponsorship deals with unlicensed companies altogether.
Nandy added: “When placing a bet on the big match, fans deserve to know the sites they’re using are properly regulated, with the right protections in place.
“It’s not right that unlicensed gambling operators can sponsor some of our biggest football clubs, raising their profile and potentially drawing fans towards sites that don’t meet our regulatory standards.”
Licensed industry celebrates
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) took to LinkedIn to voice its support of Nandy’s initiative, adding that operators benefiting from the visibility and credibility of English football should also play their part and adhere to the highest regulatory standards of the UK’s gambling framework.
“Licensed members of the Betting and Gaming Council follow strict rules on consumer protection, safer gambling and financial safeguards. Unlicensed operators don’t – fuelling the harmful black market and putting consumers at risk,” the trade body said.
“We support action that protects fans, upholds standards and ensures football sponsorship is built on responsibility and proper regulation.”
Seemingly, the UK government and regulators are mobilising to deal a severe blow to black market operators in 2026.
The latest announcement from the Culture Secretary comes shortly after the announcement of a newly-formed Illegal Gambling Taskforce, led by Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross and made up of various stakeholders, including payment companies and tech giants like Google.
Twycross concluded: “We know the real harm that unregulated gambling can cause, exploiting vulnerable people and leaving consumers without the protections they deserve.
“This consultation, alongside the work of our Illegal Gambling Taskforce, shows how seriously this government is taking the issue. We will not hesitate to act where we see people being put at risk.”
In the long-run, the move could be a PR win for the licensed industry, as consumer unfamiliarity and a lack of trust in offshore brands has contributed to a much more hostile reception to betting sponsorships in general in recent years.
With offshore firms gone, licensed firms may be able to win back some credibility for their sponsorships – like Betway and later BoyleSports’ partnerships with West Ham United, or Wiliam Hill’s sponsorship of the top four levels of Scottish football.
However, with a large group of MPs calling for another review of gambling legislation and regulations and with the April 2026 taxes projected to bite into operator marketing budgets, the damage to sports sponsorships may have already been done.