8Xbet, an unlicensed operator currently sponsoring a number of Premier League teams, has customers redirected to GamCare when trying to access its website.
At the time of writing, for some unexplained reason, clicking on the operator’s Google-listed URL goes directly to the GamCare website – one of the UK’s main gambling harms charities.
8Xbet is an Asia-focused company, and most of its Premier League partnerships reflect this – the firm’s deals with Chelsea, Newcastle United, Sunderland as an Asian betting partner.
The link to the firm’s dot com website on Chelsea’s partner webpage, where it is listed as the club’s official betting partner for the Asia Pacific, also now redirects to the GamCare website.
It’s possible that 8Xbet’s reason for doing this is due to increasing scrutiny of unlicensed betting partners in UK sports, particularly the Premier League. By redirecting to GamCare, the company is able to state that UK customers definitely can’t access its platform.
SBC News has contacted GamCare for a comment, which said it is unable to provide at this time.
Unlicensed sponsors on the ropes?
We’ve all heard the gambling aware warnings on radio, we’ve seen the adverts on TV, we’re also reminded every time we visit an iGaming website in the UK.
However, all this effort to protect players is hindered when an unlicensed brand is being advertised during a Premier League game.
8Xbet is one example of that – a bookmaker that is not licensed in the UK, however its branding was visible on pitch-side boards during last weekend’s Premier League games between Chelsea and Newcastle, and Sunderland and Brighton.
8Xbet is one part in the story of the now notorious TGP Europe licence holder, once registered in the Isle of Man and serving as a point-of-entry to the UK for Asia-facing operators such as 8Xbet through white-label licences.
At one point, TGP Europe-licensed brands were everywhere in the Premier League – remnants of this are still around. Fulham FC has SBOTOP on the front of their shirts, while Wolves have DEBET.
And while a case can be made that 8Xbet’s current betting sponsorship of Newcastle, Sunderland and Chelsea do not target UK consumers, it is difficult to apply this defence to a highly visible front-of-shirt sponsor.
One interesting fact is that DEBET is managed by RISQ Capital Ltd. The company does have a licence by the UKGC, but for a different domain – debet.co.uk is no longer active. However, we were able to freely create an account with a UK-based email address.
The 8xbet.com domain can also be accessed by UK consumers via a VPN, making the GamCare redirect not entirely effective.
With the DCMS now consulting on whether to ban unlicensed sponsorships in English sports, something both the regulated industry and gambling reform advocates have been calling for for some time, it seems these companies’ presence in the Premier League may soon be coming to an end.
However, 8Xbet’s GamCare redirect shows that they may still have some tricks up their sleeves, for now at least.
SBC News has contacted DCMS for comment. The department remains confident that banning unlicensed firms from marketing themselves in UK sports will reduce their appeal and potential exposure to gambling harm.
However, a ban will only become effective once all feedback has been collected in the consultation, informing implementation of the DCMS’ plan.
