Chelsea FC Close to Deal with Stake
According to newspaper reports, Chelsea FC is in discussions with Stake.com to appoint it as its new shirt sponsor. While the top-tier club has not yet confirmed the rumor, fans have already expressed discontent over the deal. Earlier this year, Premier League clubs agreed to a ban on front of shirt gambling sponsorships, to come into effect in 2026.
The Blues have been searching for a new front of shirt sponsor to replace its expired deal with Three.
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Last Minute Negotiations
Chelsea FC are reported to be in final negotiations with online casino Stake over a new front of shirt sponsorship deal. If agreed, Stake will act as the Premier League’s sponsor for the 2023/24 season. The club’s previous three-year partnership with mobile network Three is due to come to an end this summer.
Three’s sponsorship was estimated to be worth in the region of £40 million a year to Chelsea. It is thought that the proposed deal with Stake will be worth around the same value. Stake is not the first company to have gone through negotiations with the Blues over the lucrative advertising spot.
It is understood that the club rejected an offer from Allianz to act as principal sponsor for around half the price. Chelsea had also been in talks with a firm from the crypto sector, although after that deal fell through the club was left scrambling for a lucrative alternative.
Chelsea had hoped to pen a deal with US streaming service Paramount+. That option was apparently nixed by the Premier League over concerns that a deal would upset broadcast partners including Sky Sports and BT Sport. Supporters described the decision from Premier League bosses as hypocritical, pointing out that betting sponsorships are still allowed and that Paramount+ isn’t available to British consumers.
Stake is no stranger to Premier League football. Last year, the gambling business signed a multi-year agreement with rival club Everton, thought to be worth around £10 million a year. Despite the protests of campaigners, gambling sponsorships remain commonplace in the sport.
Ahead of the upcoming season, Aston Villa has signed a new deal with BK8. The partnership, which is BK8’s largest to date, sparked outrage from supporters due to the operator’s history of dodgy advertising. Norwich City had previously terminated its arrangement with BK8 after marketing on YouTube consisting of simulated sex acts with a sausage came to light.
Ban on Gambling Shirt Sponsorships
Brentford has a deal in place with Hollywoodbets, while Bournemouth is sponsored by Dafabet, Fulham by W88 AND West Ham with Betway. Ahead of incoming changes to rules on shirt sponsorships, Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers have opted to showcase their gambling partners on shirt sleeves instead.
Chelsea’s alleged deal with Stake might prove controversial amongst some, but it does not break any rules. In April of this year, Premier League clubs agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorships from the front of matchday shirts by the end of the 2025/26 season. The voluntary ban came after pressure from campaigners, MPs and fans calling for curbs on gambling harms.
Campaigners say that the ban does not go far enough to combat problem gambling. Sleeve sponsors and pitch-side advertising from betting and gaming firms will still be permitted. The three-year interim period before the ban comes into force has been designed to allow clubs time to transition away from gambling industry deals.
However, the fact that some clubs are continuing to explore new arrangements with operators damages the credibility of that reasoning. The Big Step, a charity that has campaigned to end gambling’s promotional relationship with football since 2019, described aspects of the ban as ‘totally incoherent’.
A study carried out by academics at the University of Stirling found that gambling operators are responsible for the most pitch side adverts, accounting for 38%. It has also been estimated that gambling logos appear more than 500 times in matches broadcast live on television. Those calling for curbs want the ban to be brought in sooner.
New and existing deals with operators are permitted until then. Gambling partnerships are popular amongst football clubs, due to the attractive cash injections they offer. Chelsea has failed to qualify for next season’s Champion’s League. A twelve-month deal with Stake would provide valuable funds to the club as it attempts to reenter the European competition next year.
Fans Reject Stake
A deal with Stake would mean that Chelsea could only sell shirts showing the online casino’s logo in adult sizes. Kid’s shirts would be left with a blank spot on the front, as gambling firms must not target their products at children.
While a secured deal may be good news for the future of the club, fans are less pleased with the prospect of a gambling sponsor. The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust has published the results of a survey asking fans for their opinion on the proposed deal with Stake.
According to the survey, 77% of the group’s voting members disagreed with the use of a betting company as the club’s primary shirt sponsor. Issuing a statement on the matter, the trust said that it did not believe that it was in the best interest of fans for Chelsea to associate with an online betting and gaming company as its main shirt sponsor.
The trust has written a letter to the club in an attempt to negotiate a U-turn on the agreement. It alleged that a gambling sponsor would alienate many supporters and make a mockery of the community work the trust has done to raise awareness of gambling harms.
Last November, The Chelsea Foundation delivered a program of gambling harm awareness workshops to schools around the Hammersmith and Fulham area. That work was celebrated by the club and shared across its website and social media channels.
In the UK, Stake’s website offers the usual range of online casino games and betting options. Outside of the UK, customers can use the platform to bet with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The operator describes itself as a worldwide leader in crypto gambling. The practice is not technically illegal in the UK, although no online casinos have been given permission by the Gambling Commission to accept the digital assets.
