Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City will receive written warnings they could face fines and staff could face prison sentences over front-of-shirt sponsors that have been deemed “unlawful” in Great Britain.

The move comes after the Gambling Commission announced that Everton’s front-of-shirt sponsor, Australian bookmaker Stake, will stop operating in this country by March 11.

That means Everton are the third Premier League club to promote a sponsor that cannot operate in Great Britain on the front of their shirts, along with Nottingham Forest and Leicester.

In a strongly worded statement, the Gambling Commission said Everton and two other Premier League clubs, understood to be Forest and Leicester, would now receive written warnings. They will include the threat of fines and prison sentences for individuals if effective measures are not in place to ensure that sponsors cannot transact with consumers in this country.

An investigation by the Gambling Commission was prompted when the Stake logo featured on posts made by an adult actress, who has claimed she once slept with 1,000 men in a day.

Everton have not commented on the Gambling Commission’s announcement, but it is understood it will not affect the club’s partnership with Stake, which is global, rather than UK-focused. The partnership was inherited by Everton’s Friedkin Group owners.

Forest’s front-of-shirt sponsor is Asian sportsbook Kaiyun, which is unlicensed in Great Britain and is also an official partner of Chelsea and Crystal Palace. Leicester display online gambling firm BC Game, which is unlicensed in this country.

Forest have not commented, but it is believed the club have taken proactive steps to try to satisfy the Gambling Commission’s demands. Leicester have also not commented.

Premier League clubs agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of match-day shirts from the 2026-27 season, which means next season will be the last in which their logos can be displayed.

In a statement, the Gambling Commission said: “The Commission will be writing to Everton – along with two other football clubs with unlicensed sponsors – warning of the risks of promoting unlawful gambling websites.

“The Commission will seek assurance from the clubs that they have carried out due diligence on their white label partners and that consumers in Great Britain cannot transact with the unlicensed sites.

“Clubs will be asked to demonstrate that they have assurance that any steps to geo-block the sites are effective, recognising that some blocking can be easily by-passed by use of tools such as a Virtual Private Network.

“Clubs will be expected to carry out sufficient due diligence to assure the Commission that consumers cannot transact with the sites from Great Britain by any means. The Commission will also be taking steps to independently verify effective measures are in place.

“The letter will warn that club officers may be liable to prosecution and, if convicted, face a fine, imprisonment or both if they promote unlicensed gambling businesses that transact with consumers in Great Britain.”

Confirming the closure of Stake’s website in Great Britain, the Gambling Commission said: “Consumers are being advised that Online Sportsbook & Casino | Bet with Stake UK  will no longer be a licensed website from next month.

“TGP Europe Limited, who operate the site as part of a white-label arrangement, have stated they will be shutting the site.

“The move follows the launch of a Commission investigation into a widely viewed video displaying the Stake-branded logo, which was distributed on a social media platform and featured an adult actress outside Nottingham Trent University.

“TGP has previously been the subject of enforcement action and, after a meeting with the Commission, have stated they will immediately stop accepting new registrations to the Online Sportsbook & Casino | Bet with Stake UK platform and remove redirection links from the main Stake website. Final shutdown of the Great Britain site will take place by 11 March 2025.

“Stake are currently front-of-shirt sponsor of English Premier League football club Everton.”