Everton is a top English Premier League soccer club. Following an investigation into an ad featuring porn actress Bonnie Blue, its main sponsor has surrendered its British license.
A few days ago, the Gambling Commission advised Stake to stop its UK activities. The sportsbook and casino operator faced this action due to the controversy.
Everton is risking the loss of a major sponsorship. It may also face regulatory consequences over the activities of Stake. This impacts millions of fans in Great Britain.
TGP Europe, the owner of Stake, operates the site through a white-label agreement. This agreement allows global gambling firms to enter the UK market while keeping development costs low.
The commission stated that TGP has previously faced enforcement action. After a meeting with the commission, TGP agreed to immediately stop accepting new registrations on Stake.uk.com and remove redirection links from the main Stake website.
On March 11 of the current year, final shutdown of the Great Britain will take place.
Bonnie Blue, or Tia Billinger in real life, was in a social media video near Nottingham Trent University. Yet, it is unclear if she was aware of involved in posting the video.
She boasted about sleeping with 180 barely legal 18-year-olds in the clip while Stake’s logo appeared on the screen.
A user claiming to be connected to the gambling company, not the official account, shared the clip. Since then, they have removed the post online.
The company has shifted its focus to expanding in other countries, such as Brazil. Meanwhile, Stake is losing its foothold in the UK gambling scene.
Stake stated that it has mutually agreed with TGP Europe to exit white-label agreements. The company will now focus on securing local licenses through its in-house platform and operations. It aims to build on its growth in key regulated markets, including recent expansions into Italy and Brazil.
