Leicester City FC is currently under intense scrutiny due to its sponsorship deal with BC.Game

IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT:- Leicester City Football Club is currently under intense scrutiny due to its sponsorship deal with BC.Game, a gambling company that lost its UK license in December 2024

Despite this, BC.Game continues to operate and accept UK customers, which has raised serious legal and ethical concerns.

Key Issues:

1. Unlicensed Gambling Promotion:
   1. Leicester City has continued to display BC. Game as its front-of-shirt sponsor even after the company became unlicensed in the UK.
   2. The Gambling Commission has warned that club officials could face fines or imprisonment for promoting gambling services that are not legally permitted to operate in the UK.
2. Money Laundering Concerns:
   1. BC.Game, along with other gambling sites like DEBET and 96.com, was previously licensed under TGP Europe, an Isle of Man-based company.
   2. TGP Europe surrendered its license after being told to pay over $4 million in fines for failing to conduct proper due diligence and breaching anti-money laundering protocols.
3. Regulatory Warnings Ignored:
   1. The Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA) alerted Leicester City in March 2025 that BC.Game was still accessible to UK users.
   2. Despite this, the club has not taken action to end the sponsorship or ensure the site is blocked from UK access, even though the Gambling Commission explicitly required this.
4. Ease of Access:
   1. Investigators were able to register and deposit money on BC.Game using UK credentials with minimal checks, highlighting the lack of safeguards against illegal access.
   2. This situation places Leicester City in a precarious legal position and raises broader questions about the integrity of football sponsorships, especially those involving crypto and gambling firms.
   3. Here's a comparative summary of how Leicester City's sponsorship scandal fits into the broader landscape of football clubs facing similar issues, and the potential impact on its finances and reputation:

Wider Context: Sponsorship Scandals in Football

1. Prevalence of Gambling & Crypto Sponsors:
   1. A 2025 investigation across nine major football leagues found over 400 active partnerships with gambling and crypto companies, many of which operate illegally or in regulatory grey zones.
   2. Clubs in England, Italy, and Portugal are especially saturated with such sponsors. In the Premier League, 100% of clubs had at least one betting sponsor.
2. Blurred Lines Between Crypto & Gambling:
   1. Companies like Rollbit (Southampton’s sponsor) and BC.Game (Leicester City’s sponsor) operates as both a crypto exchange and a gambling platform, making it harder to regulate and more prone to money laundering risks.
3. Legal and Regulatory Risks:
   1. The UK Gambling Commission has warned that club officials could face prosecution for promoting unlicensed gambling services.
   2. A 2025 government report named football clubs and agents as emerging risks for money laundering and terrorist financing, citing opaque ownership structures and poor due diligence.

Impact on Leicester City

1. Reputational Damage:
   1. Being associated with a bankrupt and unlicensed sponsor like BC.Game places Leicester City in a negative spotlight, especially as other clubs begin distancing themselves from similar deals.
2. Financial Risk:
   1. Gambling sponsors typically offer 40% more revenue than non-gambling sponsors. Losing BC.Game could mean a 20% drop in commercial income, unless replaced with a similarly lucrative deal.
3. Legal Exposure:
   1. If Leicester continues promoting BC.Game, it risks fines or imprisonment for executives, and potential sanctions from the Premier League or UK regulators.
4. Fan and Stakeholder Backlash:
   1. Ethical concerns around promoting unlicensed gambling could alienate fans, investors, and community partners, especially as scrutiny grows.

Sources

Play the Game reveals the extent of football's reliance on betting and ...https://www.playthegame.org/news/play-the-game-reveals-the-extent-of-footballs-reliance/

Premier League Clubs Face Legal Risk Over TGP Betting Sponsors https://sccgmanagement.com/sccg-news/2025/5/19/premier-league-clubs-face-legal-risk-over-tgp-betting-sponsors/

Clubs and agents named as ‘emerging risk’ in money laundering report https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-clubs-agents-money-laundering-government-report-b2791065.html

Unlicensed Gambling Firms Still Promoted by EPL Clubs, Probe Reveals https://casinobeats.com/2025/06/03/unlicensed-gambling-firms-still-promoted-by-epl-clubs-probe-reveals/

Officials at Premier League clubs at risk of legal action over ...https://news.sky.com/story/premier-league-clubs-at-risk-of-legal-action-over-unlicensed-casino-sponsors-13373376