Online bookmaker Stake, which sponsors the football club Everton, has been instructed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) to exit the British market.
The Commission notified TGP Europe, the white-label provider managing the Stake website in the UK through a partnership agreement, that the final shutdown of the Stake.uk.com website in the UK will take effect from March 11, 2025.
Stake UK’s license was placed under review following an investigation into an incident involving a “widely viewed video” featuring the Stake logo, which appeared on social media and showed an adult actress near Nottingham Trent University. This scandalous incident was widely covered by the UK media.
Under TGP Europe’s management, Stake UK was previously fined £320,000 ($396,800) for non-compliance with anti-money laundering regulations and for breaches of social responsibility related to customer account management.
Initiating the closure process, the Commission ordered TGP Europe to “immediately cease accepting new registrations on the Stake.uk.com platform and remove redirect links from the main Stake website.”
A subsidiary of the crypto gaming group Easygo, Stake UK was launched in 2021 as a white-label brand operated by TGP Europe. Stake UK did not conduct cryptocurrency transactions to comply with the UKGC LCCP licensing requirements.
TGP Europe, based on the Isle of Man, manages 19 white-label partnerships under UK licenses.
“The Commission will be writing to Everton—along with two other football clubs with unlicensed sponsors—warning of the risks of promoting unlawful gambling websites. The Commission will seek assurance from the clubs that they have carried out due diligence on their white-label partners and that consumers in Great Britain cannot transact with the unlicensed sites.”
As part of the enforcement order, clubs sponsored by Stake must ensure effective geo-blocking of gambling websites, although the use of VPNs may bypass these measures. They are also required to conduct due diligence to prevent transactions from the UK. The Commission will monitor compliance and issue warnings about legal consequences for promoting unlicensed gambling.
TGP Europe and Stake are obligated to ensure that their closure complies with UKGC rules, properly shut down the website, and provide clear instructions to customers regarding account closures and fund withdrawals.
The DCMS Gambling Minister, Baroness Twycross, has initiated a review of the management and status of white-label partnerships. DCMS has been tasked with collaborating with the industry and the UKGC to gather data on the prevalence and impact of these practices. At the GambleAware Conference, Twycross informed the audience that additional measures would be taken if necessary.
An update by Stake, on its UK closure cited: “Stake has made a strategic decision in mutual agreement with TGP Europe to exit white-label agreements and focus on securing local licenses through our in-house platform and operations, building upon our growth in key regulated markets such as our recent expansions into Italy and Brazil.”
Gambling’s Premier League relationship
Thanks to the global reach and popularity of the English Premier League, gambling operators from around the world are eager to enter sponsorship agreements with clubs to enhance their visibility.
While licensed operators have signed long-term contracts with clubs, in recent years, there has been increasing criticism of the presence of betting companies in football. This has led to Premier League clubs agreeing to implement a ban on shirt sponsorships from betting companies, set to take effect at the beginning of the 2026/27 season.
Ahead of this ban, many clubs have signed sponsorship agreements with operators to maximize revenue until the end of the 2025/26 season. However, some clubs have gone further, entering contracts with unlicensed operators. For example, Kaiyun Sports, which is unlicensed in the UK, is currently sponsoring Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace. Both clubs could be violating due diligence rules if UK users gain access to the Kaiyun Sports website.
It remains unclear whether the UKGC’s decision regarding Stake will set a precedent for the removal of unlicensed operators from the UK market, as well as the future of the sponsorship agreement between Stake and Everton.
Stake in Formula 1: Will the Logo Be Removed at the British Grand Prix?
Stake’s exit from the UK market also raises questions about whether the company’s branding will need to be removed when the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber competes in the British Grand Prix from July 4 to 6. As part of a two-year deal, Stake is the title sponsor of the F1 team, displaying its logo on the race cars and other assets. The agreement will last until the end of the 2025 F1 season.
Last year, during the first season of Stake’s agreement with Sauber, the Dutch gambling regulator, De Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), demanded the removal of Stake’s branding from the team’s race cars and other assets for the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix, as Stake was unlicensed in the Netherlands. Due to the global popularity of Formula 1 and the high visibility for promotional purposes, the KSA also believed that hosting the Dutch Grand Prix could expose Stake’s branding to vulnerable groups, particularly minors and young people.
Stake is actively investing in sports sponsorship and marketing, which has become one of the key factors in the company’s growth. It has contracts with athletes such as Sergio Agüero, UFC Light Heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and former Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, as well as coverage in a range of other sports.
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