(AsiaGameHub) –   Entain has urged the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) to prevent football clubs from accepting sponsorships from gambling operators that are not licensed in the UK.

The company, which owns Ladbrokes and Coral, released a statement on Thursday responding to the IFR’s Second Licensing Consultation.

The consultation, which closed on Tuesday, invited feedback on a proposed new licensing system for clubs in England’s top five football leagues.

Entain has asked the IFR to clarify that its existing prohibition on clubs receiving income “connected to serious criminal conduct” includes sponsorship deals with unlicensed gambling operators.

Currently, operators without a UK licence can sponsor British teams via white-label partnerships with locally licensed firms. Additionally, up to six unlicensed and non-UK-based operators are currently sponsoring clubs in the Premier League.

Entain’s Ladbrokes brand serves as the official betting partner of Premier League club Liverpool, while its Coral brand holds the UK partnership with Championship side Birmingham City.

In her correspondence, Entain CEO Stella David called on the IFR to act before the 2026–27 season begins in August.

“Premier League clubs are being sponsored by criminal gambling firms,” David stated. “The Independent Football Regulator can put a stop to this immediately by simply confirming that unlicensed gambling companies targeting UK customers through English football are breaking the law – it’s that straightforward.

“The regulator does not require new powers, legislation, or even a new rule to achieve this. In fact, it has already drafted one. We are urging the regulator to define and enforce it before the next season starts.”

Entain’s four recommendations

In addition to confirming that unlicensed gambling constitutes “serious criminal activity,” Entain proposed three further measures for the IFR.

The company also recommended introducing a board attestation within the annual declaration to confirm whether clubs maintain significant commercial agreements with UK-licensed operators.

This mandatory annual declaration was established under the Football Governance Act 2025, which led to the creation of the IFR last year, and is designed to ensure continued compliance by clubs.

Entain further called for the Football Club Corporate Governance Code, also included in the new legislation, to formally recognize reputational risks arising from commercial partnerships as an ongoing governance duty.

Lastly, it recommended issuing general guidance to all licensed clubs, clarifying the due diligence requirements and obligations related to gambling sponsorship partners.

Upcoming DCMS consultation on unlicensed sponsorships

Research by Frontier Economics, commissioned by the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), estimates that around 1.5 million people in the UK wager roughly £4.3 billion annually with illegal operators.

Additional BGC-commissioned analysis by WARC forecasts that unlicensed gambling sponsorship could represent more than half of all sports sponsorship spending in the UK by October 2027.

In response, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport launched a consultation in February on banning unlicensed gambling sponsorship across Great Britain.

However, Entain maintains that the IFR should not delay action until the DCMS consultation concludes.

The company has also reached out to Premier League CEO Richard Masters, calling for an immediate voluntary ban on unlicensed gambling sponsorship and advertising before the 2026–27 season begins.