Four clubs from English soccer’s top-tier Premier League (EPL) have been warned by the UK Gambling Commission over their partnership with an unlicensed gambling firm.
Bournemouth, Fulham, Newcastle United, and Wolverhampton Wanderers are all sponsored by betting websites run by TGP Europe, which has had to surrender its British license after an investigation into its dealings.
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A probe has found the company failed to “carry out sufficient checks on business partners” and breached “anti-money laundering rules.”
Burnley, who have earned promotion back to the Premier League from the Championship for next season, also have a relationship with TGP Europe.
A letter sent to the clubs has warned they “may be liable to prosecution… if they promote unlicensed gambling businesses that transact with consumers in Great Britain.”
TGP Europe brands bj88 (Bournemouth), Sbotop (Fulham), Debet (Wolves), and 96.com (Burnley) all currently appear as primary shirt sponsors.
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By GlobalDataFun88 was Newcastle's shirt sponsor from 2017 to 2023, meanwhile, before becoming the club's official Asian betting partner.
Club officials have been warned they could be liable to prosecution and, if convicted, face imprisonment and/or a fine, if they promote unlicensed businesses that transact with British consumers.
In February, the Gambling Commission contacted Everton, Nottingham Forest, and Leicester City about three other TGP Europe websites that had already lost their license.
Stake (Everton), Kaiyun (Nottingham Forest), and BC.Game (Leicester) have all remained on the respective clubs' shirts since, however.
TGP Europe surrendered its license after being told it needed to pay a £3.3 million ($4.4 million) penalty and “make significant improvements,” in order to continue trading.
John Pierce, the Gambling Commission's head of enforcement, has said: “We have already been in contact with several football clubs to highlight the impact of the withdrawal from the market by TGP and make clear that we will be carrying out checks – without further notice – to ensure these sites remain blocked.
“We will also conduct ongoing spot checks as necessary to ensure they are not accessible to consumers in Great Britain by any means. Should any of these sites be available to GB consumers, we will take appropriate action.
“It is essential that football clubs play their part in protecting fans and GB consumers who may be exposed to advertising of these sites through their sponsorship arrangements from harm or exploitation. All licensed operators with similar arrangements to TGP should take notice of the action taken in this case.”
More than half of this season's (2024-25) Premier League teams have a gambling company as their main shirt sponsor.
In April 2023, Premier League clubs voted to voluntarily ban shirt sponsorship deals with betting companies from the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
The decision was made after discussions between the league, its clubs, and the government’s Department for Culture, Media, and Sport.
Clubs now have only one more season before it comes into force, enabling existing partnership contracts to be fulfilled.
GlobalData’s The Business of the Premier League 2024-25 report outlines that betting brands, in total, have spent around $135 million on shirt sponsorship deals with clubs in the Premier League this campaign.
The gambling industry has accounted for 11 (55%) of front-of-shirt deals this season, a significant increase on the seven agreements previously on display in the 2023-24 season.
