Everton and Leicester accused of violating gambling rules with sponsorship deals - The Athletic
Everton and Leicester City have come under scrutiny from an anti-gambling body for allegedly breaching UK Gambling Commission regulations through their partnerships with unlicensed gambling firms, reports The Athletic.
The Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA) has called on the Gambling Commission (GC) to take action against both clubs for continuing to display the logos of Stake and BC.Game, despite concerns over accessibility to UK customers. Everton’s front-of-shirt sponsor, Stake, had its UK license revoked by the GC in February, with the ban set to take effect on March 11. Meanwhile, Leicester’s deal with crypto gambling platform BC.Game has also been flagged.
The GC has warned Premier League clubs about their gambling sponsorships and requested assurances that geo-blocking measures effectively prevent UK-based users from accessing these platforms. However, it noted that such restrictions can often be bypassed using tools like Virtual Private Networks (VPN).
With regulatory pressure mounting, both clubs could face consequences if they fail to comply with the commission’s directives.
