Everton sponsor Stake to exit UK amid adult content advertising probe - Sportcal

Everton sponsor Stake to exit UK amid adult content advertising probe – Sportcal

Posted by author February 13, 2025 Gambling

Stake entered the UK in 2021 and the following year became the main sponsor of English Premier League soccer side Everton. (Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

Crypto casino and sports betting platform Stake.com has exited the UK amid an inquiry into its advertising activities on social media.

Founded in 2017, the brand entered the UK in 2021 and the following year became the main sponsor of English Premier League soccer side Everton, but has now given up its license to operate in the country as the UK Gambling Commission investigates a video an adult film star that featured Stake branding splashed across it, posted on X (formerly Twitter) by an account claiming to be a Stake affiliate.

Stake will finish up its UK exit as of March 11, 2025, and has already ceased taking new business.

The Gambling Commission has also said that it will write to Everton to warn it of its responsibilities regarding taking sponsorships from firms not registered in the UK.

Additionally, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City, two other Premier League sides that have shirt sponsorships from sports betting firms that are not registered to operate in the UK, have also been cautioned by the commission, which is seeking to ensure that UK customers cannot interact with these sites and that the clubs are not promoting illegal activity.

It has been reported that Everton, for its part, has no intention to remove Stake as its front-of-shirt sponsor despite the move, with the firm serving as the most lucrative shirt sponsor in the club’s history.

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That deal is worth a reported £10 million ($12.55 million) per year for the side, which has struggled for cash in recent years.

From the 2026-27 campaign onwards, the Premier League will enforce a voluntary ban on gambling companies as front-of-shirt sponsors.

Stake entered the UK via TGP Europe, an Isle of Man-based licensing firm utilized by gambling firms looking to rapidly enter the UK.

The Premier League is said to have told clubs that the government would seek a legislative ban unless a voluntary accord was reached.

Commenting at the time, Conrad Wiacek, head of analysis at GlobalData Sport, said “The Premier League’s intent to move away from front-of-shirt partnerships with gambling brands has long been expected and will likely mean a significant change in focus for many clubs within the league who have to come to rely on revenue from the gambling industry to drive commercial income, accounting for 40% of all deals in the Premier League, generating over $69 million in sponsorship revenue per season.

“By following the lead of Spain and Italy in this regard, the likely result will see a greater diversification in sectors for the front-of-shirt market in England.

“While the Premier League has not moved completely away from gambling and betting brand partnerships, still allowing for perimeter board and sleeve partnerships, by restricting the placement of brand logos on the most visible and crucial piece of club inventory, it sends a strong message and perhaps signals a change in strategy for many commercial departments within clubs, many of whom have sought short term, high-value partnerships with betting brands from around the world.”