Leicester City FC has responded to media reports that its front-of-shirt sponsor BC.Game, an online betting and gaming firm, has gone bankrupt.
Multiple media outlets have stated that two of the companies which make up BC.Game – Blockdance BV and Small House BV – have been declared bankrupt.
The bankruptcy has not been confirmed by the company, but it has confirmed its involvement in a legal dispute in the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao, where it holds a gambling licence, initiated by some of its customers.
Should the company actually be bankrupt, this would, somewhat obviously, be a difficult situation for Leicester City as the Premier League club would be left with a sponsor without the financial backing to pay its sponsorship fees.
“We have been and continue to be in regular discussions with BC.Game with regard to an active legal case in Curaçao” a Leicester City spokesperson said.
“BC.Game have provided the club with the strongest assurances that they are actively appealing this case, and that the process which has been initiated in Curacao is administrative in nature and has not arisen due to any concerns with their financial standing.
“BC.Game have further assured us that they have no issues with liquidity and that they remain fully committed to meeting their ongoing contractual and financial obligations, including to the club, and that this case will not impact on BC.Game’s continuing international operations.”
BC.Game issued a statement in response to allegations of bankruptcy in which it addressed the legal case in Curucao. The platform has been accused of misconduct by its customers, who claim that they incurred losses due to system issues.
The firm states that it has found ‘several inconsistencies’ in the case and that the allegations lack any substantial evidence. It adds that many claims fail to hold up to legal and technical scrutiny and rely on unverified statements.
“We strongly disagree with the court’s recent rulings and will vigorously appeal the decision, as we believe it failed to adequately consider key facts,” a BC.Game statement read.
“BC.Game is confident in our ability to demonstrate compliance and uphold our reputation as a legitimate operator in the industry.”
The situation around Leicester City’s two-year partnership with BC.GAME does not cast the best light on the state of gambling sponsorships in English football.
The relationship between football and betting has been under pressure as it is, with many gambling reform campaigners calling for an end to betting sponsorships in sports over the past few years.
Premier League clubs opted last year to phase out front-of-shirt gambling deals from the 2026/27 season. This has left football clubs with a couple of years to maximise revenue from betting deals.
The deals that have resulted have not gone without controversy, with many of the companies involved being largely unknown operators based and focused on the Asian market, involved in cryptocurrency, or both.
Interestingly, BC.GAME is also not active in the UK, as British visitors to its website will be informed by a pop up.
Deals between football clubs and operators not holding UK licences have been scrutinised by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) in the past, such as in the case of Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace sponsor Kaiyun Sports, but the regulator has not commented on the situation regarding Leicester and BC.GAME yet.
