A breach of the Curaçao Gaming Authority’s licensing portal has reopened scrutiny of offshore gambling brands visible to Great Britain’s sports audience. Stake, which previously sponsored Everton, gives the controversy a direct British link.

Published on September 22, 2026, the international investigation reported access to more than 84,000 documents and records linked to hundreds of Curaçao-licensed gambling companies.

Follow the Money’s investigation, titled Casino Secrets, reported that the material identified about 800 owners connected to nearly 650 licensed firms operating thousands of gambling websites. Follow the Money reported that the files included:

  • More than 84,000 documents and records
  • About 800 company owners
  • Nearly 650 licensed firms
  • Thousands of gambling websites

What the breach exposed

The records included licence applications, ownership declarations, regulatory assessments, passports, tax returns and other sensitive financial information.

Follow the Money reported that some Curaçao licences were granted despite unresolved questions about who controlled the companies and where their money came from.

The investigation focused on the Curaçao system. It did not establish that every company named in the files acted unlawfully. A Curaçao licence also does not authorise an operator to accept bets from consumers in Great Britain.

The Curaçao Gaming Authority confirmed unauthorised access to its online gaming portal. Its website says the authority has started a forensic investigation and continues to publish updates about the incident. The authority regulates online gambling in Curaçao under the island’s National Ordinance on Games of Chance. The authority’s website provides further information.

Why Stake matters in Great Britain

Stake gives the story a direct British connection. On February 12, 2025, the Gambling Commission said Stake.uk.com would stop operating as a licensed website in Great Britain. The final shutdown was scheduled for March 11, 2025.

The Commission also said Stake was then the front-of-shirt sponsor of Everton. It warned the club about the risks of promoting an unlicensed gambling website.

The Commission said clubs must ensure that consumers in Great Britain cannot transact with unlicensed sites. Its notice set out the position.

Brand visibility is not the same as a Great Britain operating licence.

A company may be licensed elsewhere, or appear on a football shirt, without being authorised by the Gambling Commission to provide gambling facilities to consumers in Great Britain.

Rules are tightening, but the ban is not yet law

The Gambling Commission’s guidance says sports organisations face serious legal and reputational risks when they promote unlicensed gambling operators.

It expects clubs to carry out continuing checks and ensure that websites cannot be accessed for gambling from Great Britain. The Commission’s sponsorship guidance explains those expectations.

On July 15, 2026, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport opened a consultation on a proposed ban on sponsorship and advertising by gambling operators without a Gambling Commission licence.

The consultation closed on September 9. The government said it would consider the responses before deciding whether to lay legislation before Parliament. The consultation document sets out the proposal.

The preferred implementation date is August 2027, ahead of the 2027-28 football season. That date is a proposal, not an effective rule.

Until legislation is approved and takes effect, certain sponsorship arrangements can continue where the unlicensed service is inaccessible to consumers in Great Britain.

The practical test for clubs and fans

The leak sharpens a question already facing football clubs: what checks are enough before an offshore gambling brand is placed in front of millions of viewers?

  • Does the brand hold a Gambling Commission licence, or operate through a licensed white-label partner?
  • Can consumers in Great Britain register, deposit or gamble through the advertised service?
  • Can the club identify the company’s ownership, funding and responsible licence holder?
  • What happens to customer funds and complaints if the brand leaves the British market?

The government’s consultation says sponsorship can act as an implicit sign of legitimacy. It also points to risks involving weak player protections, fraud, identity theft and money laundering in the illegal market.

For Great Britain, the Curaçao files do not automatically change Stake’s licence position or prove wrongdoing by Everton.

They do expose the gap between a brand’s global sports profile and the regulatory protection available to a British customer. That gap is now part of the government’s decision on whether the proposed 2027 sponsorship ban should become law.