Entain calls out UK government’s ‘inaction’ as firm pushes again for ban on unlicensed sponsors

Entain has once again pushed for the UK government to implement an immediate ban on unlicensed gambling operators sponsoring British sport. The Ladbrokes Coral owner has reiterated the calls it made when the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) opened its consultation on this, but has said that the new pleas are backed by further analysis into the prevalence of black market bookmakers in the Premier League. Earlier this month, Entain wrote to 10 Premier League clubs affiliated with unregulated gambling companies. Shortly after, Sunderland signed a partnership with crypto-centric online casino and sports betting platform Shuffle, for the unlicensed operator to appear on the club’s kit’s sleeve. SBC News saw the letter which Entain sent to Everton, a club associated with non-Gambling Commission licence holder Stake, and the group stated that lifelong Everton fan and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham “would become a billboard for unregulated gaming by wearing the club’s current strip”. Entain’s Chief Executive Officer, Stella David, has berated both the government for what Entain sees as a lack of urgency in implementing a ban, and Premier League clubs engaged in deals for their illegitimacy. “Inconvenience is not an excuse for inaction.”Stella David, CEO of Entain “Premier League clubs that have struck new deals with unlicensed gambling operators knew the risks,” David said. “The Government made clear in February that it would bring in a ban and it should do so immediately: even if that means clubs ordering new kit mid-season. Inconvenience is not an excuse for inaction.” Stella David: Credit: Entain Entain wants ban to stretch to social media The LSE-listed firm, which is incidentally set to be demoted from the FTSE 100 today, has also called for the ban to cover online and digital advertising. This, it says, is due to the fact that “the Government’s own consultation shows that 22% of consumers who use unlicensed operators first encountered them through social media or social-media advertising, compared with 13% through sponsorship”. The logistics of this is another topic entirely, though, as it would require collaboration between policymakers and Big Tech firms, and potentially even cross-border collaboration. Additionally, Entain has leaned on research that four in five consumers are unable to identify an unlicensed operator, which could tarnish the credibility of harm prevention organisations such as GAMSTOP. The urges come with the backdrop of the business announcing that it may be cutting up to 400 roles in its customer care department. Following that revelation, David urged Burnham and his Cabinet to refrain from imposing higher taxes on machine games. It has been rumoured that Machine Games Duty could be doubled in the Autumn Budget. DCMS has continuously stated that a ban on unlicensed operators in sport, if approved, is highly unlikely to come into effect until the 2027/28 Premier League season at the earliest. But once again, Entain, a business which has been the most vocal of the licensed cohort when it comes to these debates, is calling on the government to stop waiting around as unlicensed firms continue to get more exposure. Learn how to integrate responsible gaming into your marketing strategy with a masterclass led by Arjan Korstjens on Thursday 1 October. Get yourself a conference pass by visiting https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit/masterclasses/