Premier League Soccer Clubs Potentially Face Legal Woes over Sponsorships
Premier League football clubs Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers are facing scrutiny following revelations that their shirt sponsors, BC.Game and DEBET, respectively, continue to accept UK customers despite no longer holding licenses to operate in the country. The gambling platforms, both of which previously held UK licenses through TGP Europe, are alleged to have remained accessible to British users, potentially placing the clubs and their officers at legal risk under UK gambling regulations.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:An investigation conducted by the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA) revealed that deposits could still be made by UK customers on both gambling websites. These findings were shared with Sky News, raising questions about the legality of the ongoing sponsorships and the due diligence being performed by the clubs. BC.Game lost its license in December 2024, while DEBET became unlicensed after TGP Europe surrendered its UK operating license on May 15 2025, to avoid a financial penalty amounting to £3.3 million.
Despite the loss of their licenses, the gambling websites reportedly remain accessible from within the UK, including through virtual private networks (VPNs). This ongoing accessibility may place the clubs in breach of guidance issued by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), which has warned clubs against promoting unlicensed gambling operators.
The UKGC previously advised Leicester City in February to sever ties with BC.Game or to ensure the platform was entirely inaccessible to UK customers by all technological means, including the use of VPNs. Similar warnings were issued more recently to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley, another club with a sponsorship deal with an unlicensed gambling operator, 96.com.
Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers are halfway through two-year sponsorship agreements with their respective gambling partners. Neither club has indicated any plans to terminate the deals, despite mounting pressure from anti-gambling advocates and regulatory bodies. CEGA director Will Prochaska stated that accessing the unlicensed gambling sites did not present significant difficulty, and expressed concern about the widespread visibility of gambling advertisements, particularly among young football fans.
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Criminal Prosecution on the Table
Burnley FC, expected to be promoted to the Premier League for the 2025/26 season, is also under investigation after CEGA was able to deposit money on its sponsor's site, 96.com. Like DEBET, 96.com operated under TGP Europe's now-surrendered license. These cases bring into focus the responsibilities of football clubs in ensuring their sponsors comply with UK gambling laws and the risks they face if found to be promoting or facilitating unlicensed gambling.
The UKGC, while declining to be interviewed by Sky News, confirmed that it would pursue criminal prosecution where sufficient evidence is available. John Pierce, Head of Enforcement at the Commission, emphasized that regulatory authorities would continue to carry out spot checks to ensure unlicensed sites are not accessible to UK consumers.
Eric Tunchez's arrest highlights growing regulatory scrutiny around gambling operations, but in the Premier League's case, the issue centers on sponsorships with companies that have lost legal status in the UK market. The potential consequences for club executives include criminal prosecution, fines, or imprisonment if they are deemed to be promoting unlicensed operators to British consumers.
Prochaska reported that he had contacted Leicester City on March 13 to inform them that BC.Game remained available to UK users. Despite this notification, the club has not publicly confirmed any corrective action. BC.Game has now been without a valid UK gambling license for nearly six months, increasing regulatory pressure on the club to address the issue.
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