Entain has challenged 10 Premier League clubs over sponsorships linked to gambling operators that do not hold licences to offer gambling in Great Britain.

The company disclosed the action on September 8, one day before the Government’s consultation on unlicensed gambling sponsorships closed. The proposal remains under consideration and is not law.

The clubs named

SBC News reported that Entain contacted clubs linked to the following operators:

  • Fulham, linked to SBOTOP
  • Everton, linked to Stake
  • Aston Villa, Chelsea, Ipswich Town, Newcastle United and Coventry City, linked to 8XBet
  • Nottingham Forest, linked to FUN88
  • Tottenham Hotspur, linked to VSBet
  • Crystal Palace, linked to Chexx.bet

Entain has questioned whether sponsorships aimed at overseas audiences can remain separate from British consumers when club shirts, stadiums and digital channels reach large domestic audiences.

What the Government is proposing

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport opened its consultation on July 15, 2026. It proposes secondary legislation under the Gambling Act 2005 to prohibit advertising and sponsorship by operators that are not licensed by the Gambling Commission.

The proposed restriction would cover:

  • Shirt and equipment agreements
  • Perimeter advertising
  • Venue infrastructure
  • Match programmes and digital assets
  • The naming of competitions and venues

The Government’s preferred start date is a fixed date in August 2027, before the 2027/28 football season.

Under the current framework, an unlicensed operator can enter a sponsorship agreement if its gambling services are not accessible to consumers in Great Britain. The Government says virtual private networks and other workarounds can weaken that separation.

The consultation is a proposal, not a final rule. Any ban would require further Government action and parliamentary approval.

Why the dispute matters

Great Britain’s licensing system covers gambling operators serving consumers in England, Scotland and Wales. Permission to operate in another market does not authorise an operator to offer gambling to customers in Great Britain.

The Gambling Commission says businesses must hold the relevant licence to provide gambling facilities to customers located in Great Britain. Its public register was updated on September 10, 2026, and records the status of licensed businesses and trading names.

The central issue is the gap between overseas-targeted sponsorship and domestic exposure. Clubs and operators may argue that a deal targets foreign audiences. British viewers can still see the brand on shirts, advertising boards and club websites.

Entain has called for an immediate voluntary ban before legislation takes effect. The company previously wrote to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters and urged football authorities to remove unlicensed operators from sponsorship and advertising arrangements.

What happens next

The Government will review consultation responses before deciding whether to lay legislation before Parliament. It plans to publish a formal response later in 2026.

Until then, the reported partnerships are not automatically unlawful solely because the operators lack Great Britain licences, provided the existing legal conditions are met.

The proposed ban would create a new criminal offence for continuing to advertise or sponsor gambling through an unlicensed operator after the rules take effect.

The immediate dispute is therefore commercial, not a confirmed enforcement action. Clubs face pressure to review their deals early while the Government weighs consumer protection, money-laundering risks, football funding and the boundary between international marketing and access to the British market.