Online betting company and Everton FC sponsor Stake has been told that it will have to exit the British market by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).
The UKGC has informed TGP Europe, a white-label company which operated the Stake website in the UK through a deal with the firm, that the final shutdown of Stake’s UK domain will come into effect from 11 March 2025.
The action stems from a regulatory investigation into the Stake branded logo being used as a watermark on a “widely viewed video” on a social media platform featuring an adult actress outside of Nottingham Trent University, according to the Commission.
TGP Europe, which has been the subject of other enforcement action by the UKGC, including a £316,250 fine over anti-money laundering and social responsibility failures, has now stated that it will shut down the Stake UK website.
Everton-Stake deal under pressure
Stake losing its UK website licence puts the status of its current sports sponsorship agreements into jeopardy, such as the deal in place with Premier League club Everton.
The UKGC has informed Everton of Stake’s UK removal and confirmed it will be writing to the Merseyside club over the dangers of promoting unlawful gambling websites, which Stake will be classed as from 11 March onwards.
With redirection links and blocking of new UK customers to the Stake website to come into effect, this throws into question whether Everton will look to end the partnership if the gaming company cannot provide its services in the UK.
The Commission has also reiterated its stance against Virtual Private Network (VPNs) being used to bypass regulatory enforcement. Clubs like Everton have been told that it must have the necessary geo-blocking systems in place so customers are unable to bypass laws.
The UKGC has warned football clubs over potential prosecution for breaching standards around betting sponsorship. If found guilty of breaking due diligence laws, clubs could face fines or possible imprisonment of club officers.
Gambling’s Premier League relationship
Due to the global scope, reach and fanfare of the English Premier League, gambling operators from across the world have sought sponsorship deals with clubs to maximise visibility.
While licensed operators have forged decade-long partnerships with clubs, criticism of betting firm’s presence in football has been mounting in recent years. This led to Premier League clubs agreeing on a widespread ban of front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships to take effect at the start of the 2026/27 season.
With this impending ban looming, more clubs have secured sponsorship deals with operators to maximise revenues before the end of the 2025/26 season, next year. However, some clubs have gone one step further and signed deals with unlicensed operators.
Kaiyun Sports, an unlicensed UK gambling operator, currently has front-of-shirt sponsorship deals with both Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace. However, both clubs could fail the aforementioned due diligence guidelines if UK customers were to access the Kaiyun Sports website.
Whether the UKGC’s action against Stake will set a precedent for unlicensed operators to be removed from the UK remains to be seen, as does the status of Stake and Everton’s sponsorship agreement.
Stake F1 team to remove logo for British GP?
Stake’s removal from the UK market also throws into question whether its branding will have to be removed once the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber competes at this year’s British Grand Prix from 4-6 July.
In a two-year deal that saw Stake become a title sponsor of the F1 team, therefore having its branded logo displayed on the racecar and online assets, the agreement will last until the end of the 2025 F1 season.
Last year, in the first season of the Stake-Sauber agreement, the Dutch gambling authority – De Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) – ordered for Stake branding to be removed from the F1 teams’ racecar and other assets during the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix, as it was an unlicensed operator in the Netherlands.
Due to F1’s large popularity and a stage for enhanced promotional visibility, the KSA also deemed that the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix would expose Stake’s branding to vulnerable groups – primarily minors or young adults.
Stake has invested heavily into sports sponsorship and marketing, making it one of its key strategic growth drivers. The company has deals in place with footballers such as Sergio Agüero, UFC Light Heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and former Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, as well as coverage in a range of other sports.
