‘Unlicensed’ gambling companies could be banned from sponsoring PL clubs

Changes have been proposed by the government

As part of the potential new rules, gambling firms that are not UK-licensed could be banned from sponsoring Premier League clubs, a ruling that would have immediate ramifications for multiple of the division's current teams who, at present, display betting logos from what is known as the "unlicensed market."

Impacted companies would be those that do not currently follow laws and guidelines aimed at protecting customers, by failing to fulfil their obligations to do mandatory financial vulnerability checks on customers or to responsible advertising.

According to The Guardian: "Shirts worn by players for several major English football teams, including Everton, Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers, feature the logos of unlicensed online casinos or bookmakers."

According to reports, the government is concerned that "a lack of data protection measures" from these companies "can leave people open to fraud and identity theft and that unlicensed betting has been linked to organised crime."

This spring, a full consultation will be launched by the government into the companies, looking into whether a sponsorship ban is necessary.

The government's action comes just 12 months after a group of Premier League clubs were warned by the Gambling Commission over their association with unlicensed gambling company TGP Europe.

The firm, which sponsored Bournemouth, Fulham, Newcastle, Wolves, and Burnley (then in the Championship), had to surrender its license after an investigation concluded it had failed to "carry out sufficient checks on business partners" and breached "anti-money laundering rules," per the BBC.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has made a statement laying out the government's plans.

It reads: "It's not right that unlicensed gambling operators can sponsor some of our biggest football clubs, raising their profile and potentially drawing fans towards sites that don't meet our regulatory standards."

Premier League clubs have already collectively agreed to cease from including gambling sponsorship on the front of their matchday shirts by the end of this season, however this agreement does not yet include sleeve sponsors.

The government warned that sleeve sponsorship still offers unregulated betting firms: "a major presence in the country's most-watched sports league".

It now remains to be seen how the government's consolation progresses this spring.