Clubs in the English Premier League have been cautioned against the promotion of illicit wagering sites in Britain

The gambling regulator of Britain announced on Wednesday that it would write to three Premier League soccer clubs – Everton, Nottingham Forest, and Leicester City – to caution them about the consequences of advertising illicit gambling websites on their jerseys.

Earlier in the day, the UK Gambling Commission announced that Stake.uk.com would no longer be a licensed gambling website as a result of an investigation. The operator, TGP Europe Ltd, will also shutdown the site by the end of the month.

The front of the garment is sponsored by Stake.com for Everton, while Nottingham Forest and Leicester City are sponsored by online gaming platforms Kaiyun and BC Game.

On Wednesday, the Gambling Commission announced that its letter will issue a warning to club officers that they may be subject to imprisonment, sanctions, or both if they are found guilty of promoting unlicensed gambling businesses that engage in consumer transactions in Britain.

“Clubs will be expected to carry out sufficient due diligence to assure the Commission that consumers cannot transact with the sites from Great Britain by any means,” the report stated.

BC Game had disabled new registrations in November as it prepared to close down its UK website, according to a notice posted on the site.

Accordingly, Everton declined to provide any commentary. Nottingham Forest and Leicester did not immediately respond to Reuters’ inquiries for comment, and Stake, Kaiyun, and BC Games were unable to be reached.

The English top-flight league announced in 2023 that Premier League clubs had collectively agreed to discontinue the practice of featuring wagering sponsorship on the front of soccer uniforms beginning with the 2026-27 season.

After a widely circulated social media video depicted the Stake-branded logo alongside an adult actress near Nottingham Trent University, the gambling regulator initiated an investigation into Stake.uk.com.

The gambling regulator has announced that TGP has consented to cease accepting new registrations for Stake.uk.com and to eliminate redirection links from the primary Stake website with immediate effect. By March 11, the platform will finally be shut down in Great Britain.