The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has welcomed the beginning of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) consultation on proposals to ban sponsorship and advertising arrangements involving illegal gambling operators.

However, it has also agreed with Entain’s assessment that “the Government should now act without delay to protect consumers”.

The consultation follows concerns from the BGC and others around unlicensed operators using sponsorship deals, particularly in football, to raise their profile among British consumers despite being blocked from legally offering gambling services in the UK. 

A number of clubs that competed in the 2025/26 Premier League had front-of-shirt deals with operators that have not been granted a license from the UK’s Gambling Commission.

Announcing the consultation, Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross said the government intends to introduce “a ban on unlicensed gambling sponsorship and advertising that will target any physical forms or manifestations of advertising or sponsorship”.

She added that, within sport, the ban would cover “kit and equipment sponsorships, pitchside billboards, tournament programmes, venue infrastructure, and the naming of events, leagues and venues,” while also extending to non-sporting sectors “to avoid other sectors replacing sport as an alternative vehicle for unlicensed sponsorship”.

The three key objectives of the DCMS’ consultation are:

• to protect consumers, especially young people and those who are vulnerable, from unregulated platforms that may not offer adequate player protections or fraud recourse;
• to defend the integrity of our domestic market by ensuring advertising footprints are exclusive to operators who are required to adhere to the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP); and
• in the sport sector, to eliminate severe money laundering vulnerabilities within football clubs and agents that have been explicitly flagged within our National Risk Assessment.

Twycross acknowledged that some sports and clubs would be affected by the changes but said the government wants to introduce the ban “as quickly as possible”, with its preferred option being implementation ahead of the 2027/28 football season.

The DCMS has stated that “it has always been the case that the start of the 2027/28 season is the earliest a ban could feasibly come into force”.

However, Entain and now the BGC have called on the ban to be introduced even sooner. 

Entain had previously called on the Independent Football Regulator (IFR), which it claims can “can stop this tomorrow”, as well as the Premier League itself, saying that “the Premier League does not need to wait – it can act now”.

Yesterday saw Entain mirror what the BGC has said today for the most part, though in slightly more detail.

Regarding the wait for the ban’s implementation, the LSE-listed firm stated: “The Government and the Gambling Commission should follow the example set by the Financial Conduct Authority, which has separately written to sporting bodies about unregulated crypto companies – warning that sponsorship deals could be rendered worthless within months.”

In the past, the company has also penned direct letters to Premier League clubs partnered with unlicensed firms. The call was clearly not heard by Everton, who will continue to work with Stake next season. 

The BGC has consistently been vocal on the harms of the illegal market, and while it supports the Government’s approach in this case, it is still asking for more.

The BGC’s statement in full

A BGC Spokesperson said: “The Betting and Gaming Council welcomes the Government’s consultation on proposals to ban sponsorship and advertising arrangements involving gambling operators that are not licensed by the Gambling Commission.

“Unlicensed operators should not be able to use British sport to promote illegal gambling to UK consumers. They operate outside Britain’s regulatory framework, offer none of the consumer protections required of licensed operators and put customers at unnecessary risk.

“As the harmful black market continues to grow, it is right that the Government is taking action to stop illegal operators using sponsorship and advertising to gain credibility and target British consumers.

“The Government should now act without delay to protect consumers. We look forward to engaging constructively with the consultation and supporting robust measures that strengthen the regulated market.”