Entain has called on the Independent Football Regulator to stop English football clubs from taking sponsorship money from gambling operators that are not licensed in the UK.
The Ladbrokes and Coral owner made the appeal in response to the regulator’s Second Licensing Consultation, which focused on the future club licensing framework for the top five tiers of English football.
According to Entain, the IFR should make clear that sponsorship income linked to unlicensed gambling falls under rules covering money connected to serious criminal conduct. The company said the issue needs to be addressed before the 2026-27 season begins in August.
Entain CEO Stella David said some Premier League clubs are currently backed by gambling firms that target UK customers without holding a local licence. She argued that the regulator already has the tools to act and does not need fresh legislation to prevent such deals.
The company has put forward four proposals. These include formally classing unlicensed gambling as serious criminal activity, requiring club boards to confirm whether they have major commercial agreements with UK-licensed operators, adding reputational risk from sponsorships to football governance duties, and publishing clearer guidance on due diligence for gambling partnerships.
The issue has become more prominent as offshore betting brands continue to appear across UK sport. Entain cited industry research estimating that 1.5 million people in Britain stake about £4.3bn a year with illegal operators. Another study suggested unlicensed gambling sponsorship could represent more than half of UK sports sponsorship spending by October 2027.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport launched its own consultation on a possible ban on unlicensed gambling sponsorship in February. However, Entain said the football regulator should not wait for that process to finish.
The operator has also written to Premier League CEO Richard Masters, calling for a voluntary ban on unlicensed gambling sponsorship and advertising before next season.