Entain Group, the owner of gambling brands such as Ladbrokes and Coral, has written to Fulham, calling on the club to drop its gambling sponsor, SBOTOP, next season.
Despite operating as Fulham’s front-of-shirt sponsor for the last three years, SBOTOP does not hold a UK gambling licence, and Entain has called on Fulham to “commit to only using gambling sponsors with a licence from the Gambling Commission next season”.
Fulham agreed a club-record front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with SBOTOP in June 2023, which came into effect at the start of the 2023/24 season.
Premier League clubs agreed in April 2023 to ban front-of-shirt gambling sponsors from the start of the 2026/27 season.
But Entain has raised concerns that clubs could instead try to negotiate deals “for perimeter board advertising and clothing that excludes shirts”.
Fulham, who are in the process of negotiating a new front-of-shirt sponsor ahead of next season, were warned in May 2025 by the Gambling Commission about their relationship with SBOTOP, who were at the time run by TGP Europe.
TGP Europe had to surrender its UK gambling licence after failing to “carry out sufficient checks on business partners” and breaching “anti-money laundering rules.”
Entain say they are “deeply concerned that government delay might allow clubs another season of unlicensed gambling sponsors” and wrote to Premier League CEO Richard Masters earlier this year regarding the issue.
Masters responded by saying that the “Premier League takes matters of integrity seriously” and that “the removal of front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship is a significant step”.
He also added that “clubs are permitted under the Gambling Act to enter into agreements with overseas gambling firms, provided that the gambling activity in question is not available to customers in the UK, and that clubs take their compliance responsibilities seriously”.
The UK Government are consulting on banning all unlicensed gambling operator sponsorship in sport, including sleeve patches and perimeter boards.
Entain, though, remain concerned that “the ban will take too long to come into effect” and that “loopholes” could be exploited, which may “undermine” the Government’s proposed plans.
Fulham are explicitly referenced twice in the letter. But there are suggestions that similar letters may have been sent to other Premier League clubs with ties to sponsors who do not have a UK gambling licence.
Ben Coleman, Labour MP for Fulham and Chelsea, and the Fulham Supporters’ Trust have also been contacted by Entain regarding the matter.
Fulham chose not to comment when approached by Standard Sport. SBOTOP did not respond to Standard Sport’s request for comment.
