Entain Pushes Regulator for Action on Unlicensed Sponsorship Deals

Entain plc, the company behind Ladbrokes and Coral, has urged the Independent Football Regulator to state clearly that unlicensed gambling operators sponsoring Premier League clubs are breaking existing criminal conduct rules, and the firm wants this confirmation issued before the 2026/27 season begins so that such arrangements can be prohibited without delay. The request forms part of a broader submission that also calls on the Premier League itself to impose a voluntary ban while the formal licensing process moves forward. The operator submitted detailed recommendations as part of the IFR’s ongoing licensing consultation, pointing to the expanding UK black market for gambling and the way illegal operators use football sponsorship together with social media channels to reach vulnerable groups. Entain argues that explicit regulatory recognition of these sponsorships as serious criminal conduct would give both clubs and the league a clearer framework for ending the relationships ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

Details of the Submission to the IFR

According to the company’s statement, current rules already classify the activities of unlicensed operators as criminal, yet the lack of explicit confirmation has allowed some Premier League clubs to retain sponsorship deals with such firms. Entain therefore asked the regulator to issue a definitive position that would remove any remaining ambiguity and trigger enforcement steps before the 2026/27 season. The submission also includes practical recommendations for how the IFR’s licensing regime could incorporate checks that prevent future agreements with unlicensed entities.

Entain simultaneously wrote to the Premier League requesting a voluntary ban on sponsorships from unlicensed gambling companies, noting that such a step could be implemented more quickly than waiting for the full statutory framework. The dual approach, the company stated, would address both immediate risks and longer-term structural issues around the black market’s reach into football.

Context Around Black Market Concerns

The operator highlighted how the UK black market continues to grow, with illegal operators increasingly leveraging Premier League visibility and social media campaigns to attract users who might otherwise use regulated channels. Entain’s submission links this trend directly to the presence of unlicensed sponsors on club shirts and pitch-side boards, arguing that removing those sponsorships would reduce the black market’s ability to target vulnerable audiences through association with top-flight football. The recommendations submitted to the IFR’s licensing consultation propose specific measures that would require future licence applicants to demonstrate they have no commercial ties to unlicensed gambling operators. These proposals aim to close what Entain describes as a regulatory gap that currently allows illegal sponsorship arrangements to persist even as the broader licensing regime takes shape.

Timeline and Requested Actions

Entain has framed its call for action around the 2026/27 season, stating that confirmation from the IFR on the criminal status of unlicensed sponsorships should be issued in time for clubs to adjust their commercial arrangements before that campaign starts. The company has also asked the Premier League to move ahead with a voluntary ban in parallel, suggesting that both regulatory and league-level steps could work together to limit black market exposure through football.

The submission forms part of Entain’s response to the IFR’s consultation on licensing, where the operator has outlined how existing criminal conduct provisions could be applied more explicitly to sponsorship deals. By linking the issue to the regulator’s formal process, Entain seeks to embed safeguards against unlicensed operators within the permanent licensing structure rather than relying solely on one-off enforcement.

Conclusion

Entain’s intervention sets out a clear sequence of requested steps: explicit regulatory confirmation that unlicensed sponsorships constitute criminal conduct, followed by enforcement ahead of the 2026/27 season, alongside a voluntary Premier League ban and formal recommendations for the IFR’s licensing framework. The company has tied these proposals directly to concerns about the UK black market’s use of football visibility and social media to reach vulnerable groups, positioning the requested actions as a coordinated response to an existing regulatory gap.