Chelsea fans reject online casino sponsorship

Chelsea supporters have strongly objected to the proposed jersey sponsorship with an online casino that describes itself as a “worldwide leader in crypto gambling.”

The Premier League forbade the club from securing a lucrative deal with the American streaming service Paramount+ due to fears of upsetting TV rights holders. The club was on the verge of terminating its agreement with cellular provider Three.

Despite the upcoming gambling shirt sponsorship prohibition that will go into effect at the end of the 2025–2026 campaign, it appears that Chelsea and Stake.com are in advanced talks for a one-year jersey deal.

According to a Chelsea Supporters’ Trust study, 77% of supporters strongly dislike or disagree with the planned deal with Stake.

In a statement, the CST warned that such a sponsorship would make a “total mockery” of the good work that the Chelsea Foundation had pioneered on gambling harm awareness workshops in schools in west London. “It would be short-sighted and would force many of our members to see any future CFC Foundation projects as tokenistic,” it said.

The CST asked the club’s board to commit an open dialogue over any decision, saying: “It is public knowledge that the sponsorship with Three was due to expire this summer. The CST is disheartened and unsure as to why it has taken until June to reportedly establish this new sponsor. An online casino and betting company as the primary shirt sponsor is not in line with the commitment of growing Chelsea FC as a ‘world class’ organisation.

“We understand Chelsea’s desire to maximise revenue streams across the whole club. Whilst we accept that it will happen, it must not take place at the expense of the club’s values.”

Stake’s UK website, which has a banner saying that it is the “main partner of Everton”, is a typical betting platform with a sportsbook and online casino. From outside the UK, users can also use Stake to bet in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. “Stake.com is a worldwide leader in crypto gambling with one of the best casino and sports betting platforms for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies,” its global website claims.

Chelsea told the Guardian it had not finalised a deal with any brand.