Crypto Casino Stake To Exit UK Gambling Market
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has announced that Stake will exit the British gambling market. Operator TGP Europe Limited has decided to close down the crypto casino’s operations in the UK following an investigation by the regulator into a social media video featuring porn star Bonnie Blue.
New registrations are no longer accepted. The platform’s closure is scheduled for 11 March 2025. Customers can still access their accounts to withdraw their money. Visitors in New Zealand are not affected by the measure and can still visit the site.
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Viral Video Addressing Youngsters
The UK Gambling Commission launched a new investigation after a video featuring adult film actress Bonnie Blue went viral on social media. In the footage, filmed outside Nottingham Trent University, Blue is seen with the Stake logo, encouraging young people to “join her for some action.”
Due to previous scrutiny and a £316,250 (NZ$696,000) fine, TGP faced stricter measures, ultimately resulting in the website’s full closure. During a previous investigation, the Advertising Standards Authority also looked into Stake’s social media advertising, which was alleged to have a strong appeal to young people. In the UK, the legal gambling age is 18 for most forms of gambling, including online casinos.
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Shift Towards Regulated Markets
Stake announced that, in consultation with TGP Europe, it has decided to end its white-label agreements and focus on obtaining local licences. The gambling company indicated that it plans to take this step through its own platform and operations, building on its recent expansion into regulated markets such as Italy and Brazil.
The website closure in the UK is considered a remarkable step as the crypto casino is the main shirt sponsor of the English football club Everton. The Liverpool-based club secured a record deal with Stake, despite significant opposition from its supporters at the time.
The UK Gambling Commission has announced that it will submit an official warning to Everton and other clubs with sponsorship arrangements about the risks of promoting illegal gambling operators. Football clubs in the UK are required to demonstrate that they have verified their sponsors’ legal status and ensured that British gamblers cannot access the betting sites as part of a sponsorship deal.
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End Of White-Label Casino Brands in the UK
Meanwhile, during the annual GambleAware conference, British gambling minister Fiona Twycross confirmed that an investigation is underway into white-label sponsorship deals in football. A white-label sponsorship deal in football refers to an arrangement where a gambling company operates under another brand’s license rather than its own. Under current regulation this allows foreign or unlicensed betting firms to advertise and sponsor football clubs without holding a UK gambling license.
In its official statement, the UK Gambling Commission further emphasised that Stake is banned from the British market. This means that the operator must clearly inform players about how they can recover their funds. Anyone with remaining balances or queries regarding their account is advised to contact the crypto casino’s customer service.
With the shutdown of Stake’s operations in the UK, this is the second time in a short period that licence holder TGP is forced to remove a gambling site from the British market. In late November 2024, the crypto casino brand BC.game went offline in the United Kingdom after its parent companies in Curaçao were declared bankrupt. However, BC.game remains the shirt sponsor of the British football club Leicester City.
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