Today, May 16^th 2025, the Commission have released a statement regarding white label gambling operator TGP Europe who previously operated over a number of websites within the UK market.

Following an investigation carried out by the Gambling Commission the operator was told they needed to “pay a £3.3 million penalty and make significant improvements if it wanted to continue trading in Great Britain”. This being the second regulatory fine the operator has been issued after a £316,250 fine in 2023.

This action was taken when the investigation found that TGP Europe failed to:

• carry out effective due diligence on each entity involved in the ownership of the third party
• carry out due diligence on the source of funds for business arrangements
• sufficiently consider money laundering risks
• sufficiently consider any activity by a third-party that is illegal, in either GB or the territory in which it is conducted.

As a result of the action taken TGP has left the GB market resulting in several football clubs being left with “sponsorship arrangements with unlicensed gambling businesses”.

Several clubs have since been contacted by the Commission and warned of the risks they face promoting the now unlicensed website and has requested assurance from clubs that they have actively carried out their own due diligence checks on white label partners and that consumers in Great Britain cannot transact with the unlicensed sites. The commission has also made it clear that they “will also be taking steps to independently verify effective measures are in place”.

What does this mean for the football clubs? This exit doesn’t only impact gambling operators, it sends a clear warning to football clubs across the UK with clubs having sponsorship deals with white label brands operating under TGP Europe’s license. Now that this license has been surrendered, these partnerships are under scrutiny.

Key Takeaways:

• Due Diligence is Non-Negotiable. Operators must ensure they are thoroughly vetting all business partners to ensure compliance with regulatory standards.
• Repeat failures for similar failures will lead to stronger action. Operators must address any outlined issues promptly and prevent repeat breaches and avoid escalating penalties.
• Concern around the influence of gambling on football are increasing for both the government and public. This incident may escalate tension and reinforces the importance of transparency and accountability in all aspects of commercial partnership, particularly those involving gambling. Clubs should not rely solely on the operator’s assurances and ensure they are conducting their own checks, just as operators must conduct checks on partners as detailed above.

John Pierce, Commission Head of Enforcement, said: “This case involves a gambling company that was unwilling or unable to meet the regulatory standards we expect from our licensees. It is right that they have now exited the British market”.

If you wish to discuss Gambling Commission Compliance and in particular white label related requirements, feel free to Contact Us for a free consultation.