Entain takes black market fight to UKIPO
- Entain has urged the UKIPO to consider making Gambling Commission licensing a prerequisite for gambling-related trademark registrations.
- The operator says unlicensed firms can still register UK trademarks, helping them appear legitimate to British consumers.
- The move follows Entain’s separate campaign urging the Premier League and Independent Football Regulator to bar unlicensed gambling sponsors.
Entain has urged the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) to tighten its approach to gambling-related trademarks, in the latest stage of its campaign against the UK black market.
The trademark gap
The FTSE 250-listed operator argues that companies without a UK Gambling Commission licence can still register trademarks in Britain, despite being barred from offering gambling services to UK consumers.
Entain says this allows unlicensed brands to gain a sense of legitimacy simply by registering their name with the UKIPO. The Gambling Commission licenses operators that provide gambling facilities to British consumers, including remote gambling, and the company argues that trademark policy should align more closely with that regulatory backdrop.
According to Entain’s own review, 14 of 18 sampled gambling brands serving UK consumers did not hold a valid Gambling Commission operating licence, with several linked to operators registered in Curaçao and Anjouan.
Curaçao operates under the LOK framework, the jurisdiction’s overhauled licensing system introduced after the island moved away from its old master licence model. The regime has faced considerable upheaval in recent years, with operators required to transition to direct licences amid ongoing scrutiny of enforcement standards.
Anjouan, part of the Comoros Islands, is regulated by a self-proclaimed licensing authority run by a private entity, with no formal recognition or oversight comparable to established regulators.
By contrast, a UK Gambling Commission licence carries significant weight and reputational value with consumers and partners, but comes at the cost of a steep tax burden. The increased Remote Gaming Duty, rising from 21% to 40% from April 2026, has already prompted Entain to flag pressure on marketing budgets for its UK-facing brands.
Zinger leads push
Simon Zinger, group general counsel and chief customer care officer at Entain, wrote to UKIPO chief executive and comptroller-general Adam Williams setting out the company’s concerns. He said:
“The UK trade mark register is currently accessible to operators providing gambling services to UK consumers without a Gambling Commission operating licence. Operating gambling facilities in Great Britain without a licence is a criminal offence under section 33 of the Gambling Act 2005.”
Entain has proposed that the UKIPO explore requiring proof of a valid Gambling Commission licence before approving trademarks in gambling-related categories. The company has pointed to comparable restrictions on regulated terms such as “bank” or “insurance” under company-naming rules as a possible model.
In response, the UKIPO said its role is to assess whether a mark itself is unlawful or breaches public policy, rather than the broader regulatory status of the applicant, and noted that existing legal routes already allow objections to problematic marks where necessary.
Entain maintains that refusal grounds under the Trade Marks Act 1994, including its public policy and prohibited-use provisions, already give the UKIPO scope to act on marks linked to unlicensed gambling activity without new primary legislation.
Entain’s wider black market fight
The trademark intervention runs alongside Entain’s broader campaign against unlicensed operators in the UK market.
In May, Entain urged the Independent Football Regulator to confirm its draft licensing rules cover income from unauthorised gambling sponsors. The operator claimed six Premier League clubs held sponsorship deals with operators lacking a UK licence.
The company also wrote to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters, urging a voluntary ban ahead of the 2026/27 season. Entain chief executive Stella David has previously argued that unlicensed operators sponsoring English football clubs are breaking the law, and that regulators do not need new powers to act.
About Entain
Entain is a London-listed sports betting and gaming group and a constituent of the FTSE 250. The company operates online and through retail betting shops across more than 30 regulated or regulating markets worldwide.
Its brand portfolio spans sports betting names including Ladbrokes, Coral, bwin, Sportingbet and Neds, alongside gaming brands such as partypoker and Foxy Bingo. In the US, Entain holds a 50/50 joint venture with MGM Resorts, BetMGM, which provides sports betting and online casino products across multiple states.
The company has faced its own regulatory scrutiny in recent months. Entain accepted a compliance review in May after Australia’s communications regulator identified more than 500 self-exclusion breaches across its Ladbrokes and Neds brands.
In March, the group reported underlying EBITDA of £1,160 million for FY25, up 8% on a constant currency basis, as BetMGM turned profitable.
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