Alright, so apparently some casinos are sponsoring Premier League clubs in the UK without a proper licence. Sky News found out that BC.Game and DEBET, the sponsors of Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, are accepting UK customers even though they lost their licences to operate in the UK. DEBET lost its licence in May, while BC.Game lost theirs back in December 2024. The clubs seem to be turning a blind eye to this whole situation, despite criticism and warnings from the Gambling Commission.
**Taking a Risk for the Game**
With the current season coming to an end, both clubs are now stuck in the middle of their sponsorship deals with these casinos. The Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA) managed to deposit money on both BC.Game and DEBET, even though they are not allowed to accept UK customers. Burnley FC, who are set to join the Premier League next season, also had their sponsor 96.com in the mix. The Gambling Commission has already warned clubs like Wolverhampton and Burnley that their officers could face prosecution if they continue to promote unlicensed gambling businesses.
**The Waiting Game**
It seems like the Gambling Commission is taking its sweet time to take action on these issues. Will Prochaska from CEGA mentioned that children and football fans are constantly bombarded with these adverts, and something needs to change. The websites on the shirts of Leicester, Wolves, and Burnley were previously licensed by TGP Europe, but that ship has sailed. TGP Europe gave up its UK licence to avoid a hefty fine, leaving these casinos in a legal gray area.
**The Easy Access**
Prochaska reached out to Leicester City in March to inform them about BC.Game’s shady dealings, but it seems like nothing has been done about it. Sky News managed to sign up for all these sites, even though they are not supposed to accept UK customers. It’s kind of surprising that these casinos are not taking more precautions to prevent this from happening. Maybe they just don’t care, who knows?
**A Bit Too Easy**
It turns out that all six websites allowed Sky News to access QR codes for cryptocurrency deposits. While Sky didn’t actually make any deposits, it’s concerning that these sites are not doing more to stop UK customers from signing up. Burnley’s sponsor 96.com even let Sky sign up using a UK phone number, which is a major red flag. The other sites required phone numbers upon registration, but they didn’t bother to check if they were legit. It’s like they want trouble to find them.
**The Blame Game**
The fact that these casinos are still operating without a proper licence is a major issue. The clubs involved, the sponsors, and even the Gambling Commission need to step up and do something about it. The longer they wait, the more vulnerable they become to legal action. Let’s hope they get their act together before it’s too late.
