Betting firm to exit UK after £3.3 million fine as football clubs warned to take note

A major gambling firm and football sponsor has been fined £3.3 million for bad practice and is set to leave the UK.

The Gambling Commission fined TGP Europe for breaching anti-money laundering rules and for not carrying out sufficient checks on business partners.

TGP Europe recently promoted its betting websites by sponsoring Premier League clubs including Newcastle, Fulham and Wolves.

Protecting fans

John Pierce, Head of Enforcement for the Gambling Commission, said that it is “right that they have now exited the British market”, and that TGP was “unwilling or unable” to follow UK regulations.

He stated: “It is essential that football clubs play their part in protecting fans and GB consumers who may be exposed to advertising of these sites through their sponsorship arrangements from harm or exploitation.”

The Commission warned football clubs that they could face prosecution “if they promote unlicensed gambling businesses that transact with consumers in Great Britain”.

Promoting unlicensed sites

Will Prochaska, Director of the Coalition to End Gambling Ads, welcomed the fine against TGP Europe, but said that the Gambling Commission’s warnings to football clubs “ring hollow”.

He noted: “Premier League clubs, including Everton and Leicester, have been advertising unlicensed sites for months with no action taken by the Gambling Commission.”

Prochaska added: “Questions should be raised of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport as to how they have allowed English football to become a vehicle for the promotion of nefarious and unlicensed gambling companies.”

No due diligence

According to Investigate Europe, across the 31 premier competitions in the UK and EU, two-thirds of teams (296 of 442) signed at least one betting partner for the 2024/25 season. Almost half of all leagues are reliant on title sponsorship from a gambling company.

Charles Livingstone, from the World Health Organization’s Expert Group on Gambling and Gambling Disorder, said betting firms spend millions on advertisements, and that 80 per cent of their revenue is from problem gamblers.

Kieran Maguire, football finance expert and lecturer at the University of Liverpool, said: “I don’t think there’s any desire by clubs to do due diligence, provided they get paid. And they’re prepared to not look too closely because they’re under pressure.”