Premier League clubs Liverpool and Chelsea have suspended all advertising with Russian-owned betting operator 1XBet – a week after Tottenham Hotspur terminated its sponsorship with the brand.
The move follows advice from the UK Gambling Commission warning that the clubs risked fines and prosecution if they continued to promote 1XBet.
According to the gambling business new website iGaming Business, the UK Gambling Commission informed the clubs that any promotion of 1xBET in the UK may be illegal, and could result in “unlimited fines and imprisonment sentence for up to 51 weeks”.
The UK Gambling Commission further explained that licensed gambling operators were not allowed to advertise on websites with illegal material, the website said.
In the last week, 1XBet has been removed from the list of club sponsors on the Liverpool FC ad Chelsea websites.
The brand will also be removed from the LED perimeter board rotation for the clubs’ home games – 1XBet’s primary reason for sponsoring.