Wed, 12 Feb 2025

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 Everton sponsor leaves UK after porn ad probe

Gambling site Stake will leave the UK as a regulator investigation continues.
Everton's front-of-shirt sponsor, Stake, has decided to give up its license in Great Britain after an investigation into an ad featuring porn actress Bonnie Blue. The Gambling Commission is writing to Everton and other clubs, including Nottingham Forest and Leicester City, to warn them about their responsibilities regarding unlicensed gambling websites promoted on shirts. Stake's logo was featured on a social media video where Bonnie Blue said she was at Nottingham Trent University "as promised" to "sleep with 180 barely-legal 18 year olds". Campaigners had urged the culture secretary to take action over the advert for using sexual content to promote gambling to young people. The Gambling Commission will warn clubs that their officers could face jail and fines if they are found guilty of promoting unlicensed websites. The regulator is also asking clubs to ensure that consumers in Great Britain cannot access these sites, including through Virtual Private Network (VPN) use. Stake has announced it will stop taking new registrations on March 11th and close its GB business altogether. The company cited a "strategic decision" to exit white-label agreements and focus on securing local licenses in regulated markets. The regulator's actions come after Premier League clubs agreed to drop gambling companies as main shirt sponsors by the end of the 2025-26 season, but will still allow them to advertise through other means. Campaigners have been urging the government to take action against the widespread use of gambling firms to sponsor football clubs, citing concerns over gambling addiction and its impact on young people. The incident has sparked calls for a ban on gambling adverts in football, with some arguing that they are particularly appealing to young people. The Gambling Commission's investigation is ongoing, but Stake has denied any wrongdoing.
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