Entain has written to ten Premier League clubs urging them to sever ties with gambling operators that do not hold a valid UK licence.
The Ladbrokes Coral owner confirmed to SBC News that this is the second time in just a few months it has taken such action against unlicensed sponsorship arrangements in English football’s top division.
The move comes as the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport closes its consultation on whether unlicensed gambling sponsorships should be permitted to continue operating in the UK.
Asia-facing bookmaker 8XBet is identified as a particularly prominent presence among the offending partnerships, with Entain finding the operator has deals with five Premier League clubs.
Those five clubs are Aston Villa, Chelsea FC, Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Newcastle United, all of which have been linked to the unlicensed operator’s commercial arrangements.
The situation carries an additional layer of complexity given that Coventry City Chairman Doug King has been publicly and vocally opposed to gambling sponsorships since at least 2023.
King vowed at that time that Coventry City would no longer promote gambling companies through its shirts, making his club’s involvement with an unlicensed operator all the more striking.
Further complicating matters, visiting the 8xbet.com URL from within the UK results in a redirect to the GamCare website, suggesting the operator is aware of and responding to its unlicensed status in Great Britain.
An Entain source was able to create an account on 8XBet within five minutes using a VPN located in Vietnam, registering under the name Andy Burnham, the UK’s Prime Minister.
“In a controlled test yesterday, I was able to open an account within five minutes using details in the name of Andy Burnham while connected through a VPN appearing to be in Vietnam, and reach the point of depositing with cryptocurrency,” the source told SBC News.
The source added: “I have screenshots documenting the journey.”
Entain’s source also highlighted how 8XBet directs users around standard app store routes via TestFlight, with the app containing imagery of major football stars and current Premier League players.
The source stated: “Its app contains imagery of major football stars and current Premier League players, apparently drawing on club sponsorship assets despite the operator not being licensed in Great Britain.”
Entain concluded that these findings raise serious questions about whether any supposed separation between Asia-facing operations and UK consumers is either genuine or effective.
