Four Premier League clubs warned over gambling sponsors

Four Premier League clubs have been warned by the Gambling Commission over their relationship with an unlicensed gambling business.

Bournemouth, Fulham, Newcastle, and Wolves - plus Burnley who have earned promotion from the Championship for next season - are all sponsored by betting websites run by TGP Europe.

The company surrendered its British licence after an investigation found it had failed to "carry out sufficient checks on business partners" and breached "anti-money laundering rules".

A letter sent to the clubs has warned they "may be liable to prosecution... if they promote unlicensed gambling businesses that transact with consumers in Great Britain".

TGP Europe brands bj88 (Bournemouth), SBOTOP (Fulham), DEBET (Wolves), and 96.com (Burnley) all currently appear as matchday shirt sponsors.

FUN88 was Newcastle's shirt sponsor from 2017 to 2023, before becoming the club's "official Asian betting partner".

Club officials have been warned they could be liable to prosecution and, if convicted, face imprisonment and/or a fine, if they promote unlicensed businesses that transact with British consumers.

BBC Sport has approached the five clubs and TGP Europe for comment.

In February, the Gambling Commission ed Everton, Nottingham Forest, and Leicester about three other TGP Europe websites that had already lost their licence.

Stake (Everton), kaiyun (Nottingham Forest), and BC.GAME (Leicester) have all remained on the respective shirts since.

TGP Europe surrendered its licence after being told it needed to pay a £3.3m penalty and "make significant improvements" to continue trading.

The Gambling Commission says it is seeking assurances "that consumers in Great Britain cannot transact with the unlicensed sites".

"Clubs will be asked to demonstrate that they have assurance that any steps to geo-block the sites are effective, recognising that some blocking can be easily byed by use of tools such as a virtual private network", the Gambling Commission added.

In a letter to clubs seen by BBC Sport, the Gambling Commission wrote: "You will want to continue to satisfy yourself that your sponsorship and associated advertising arrangements are legal and do not present a reputational risk to your sport.

"We would advise that any organisation engaging in sponsorship from brands that do not hold a Commission licence manage their exposure to risk. This includes satisfying themselves as to the source of the funds for the arrangement."

More than half of this season's Premier League teams have a gambling company as their shirt sponsor.

Premier League clubs have agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of their matchday shirts by the end of the 2025-26 season.

The Coalition to End Gambling Ads raised concerns about TGP Europe's practices with the Gambling Commission.

Director Will Prochaska said: "Action against TGP Europe is welcome, but warnings against advertising unlicensed gambling companies ring hollow.

"Premier League clubs – including Everton and Leicester – have been advertising unlicensed sites for months."

The Gambling Commission's head of enforcement John Pierce said: "We have already been in with several football clubs to highlight the impact of the withdrawal from the market by TGP and make clear that we will be carrying out checks - without further notice - to ensure these sites remain blocked.

"We will also conduct ongoing spot checks as necessary to ensure they are not accessible to consumers in Great Britain by any means. Should any of these sites be available to GB consumers, we will take appropriate action.

"It is essential that football clubs play their part in protecting fans and GB consumers who may be exposed to advertising of these sites through their sponsorship arrangements from harm or exploitation. All licensed operators with similar arrangements to TGP should take notice of the action taken in this case."