Last month, the UK Gambling Commission warned Premier League clubs not to engage in sponsorships with gambling companies. In the months prior, BC.Game announced its withdrawal from the UK, and Stake announced the closure of its UK operations. This former gambling operator decided to cease its UK operations following an advertisement featuring a famous adult film actress.
CEGA states UK customers can access BC.Game and Stake via VPN
Given these companies' market exit, the Commission has asked them to take measures to ensure they do not accept customers from the UK. Everton and Leicester City, clubs with valid sponsorship agreements, are partnered with Stake.com and BC.Game respectively, and the Commission has also informed them to demonstrate steps for geoblocking the aforementioned sites. Meanwhile, the regulatory body acknowledges that VPNs can circumvent some geographical restrictions.
Recently, one of the opponents of gambling and betting ads in the UK, the "End Gambling Ads Alliance" (CEGA), announced that despite these operators exiting the market, UK customers can still easily access them. The alliance accused these two Premier League clubs of promoting illegal gambling and inquired whether the Gambling Commission would consider prosecution.
"A CEGA investigation found that the illegal gambling sites promoted by Everton and Leicester City Football Clubs are still easily accessible to UK consumers, and a month ago, the UK Gambling Commission had warned them that they could face prosecution if such activities were found,"
Last week, the UK Gambling Commission imposed a fine of £686,070 ($890,000) on Corbett Betting Company. This fine was due to the company's failure to fulfill social responsibility and anti-money laundering practices. However, as of the writing of this article, the Commission has not publicly commented on the cases of Everton and Leicester City.
Stake's security measures detected and restricted UK account holders within an hour
According to reports, a CEGA representative was able to easily create an account on Stake.com and successfully bypass restrictions using a VPN. Although the terms and conditions state that customers from the UK are not allowed, this person was able to start playing games after uploading identity verification for Bonnie Blue, the adult actress featured in this popular gambling operator's advertisement. As reported by The Athletic, CEGA's representative was allowed to play for about an hour, after which their account was restricted.
A spokesperson for Stake.com reiterated in a statement that the company is committed to complying with the regulations and regulatory integrity of different jurisdictions. The spokesperson condemned CEGA's actions, considering them not only "deceptive" but also "outright fraudulent and illegal." Furthermore, the spokesperson explained, "They fraudulently created accounts using false credentials, committed identity fraud, and attempted illegal transactions, despite multiple safeguard measures."
The representative from Stake.com stated that considering the data inconsistencies that led to the account closure, the operator's safeguard measures "worked exactly as expected." Finally, the spokesperson stated that this proves Stake.com "does not operate in the UK, has no interest in doing so, and implements strict controls to prevent access from restricted jurisdictions."
