UKGC shuts Stake's UK site over Bonnie Blue Ads

Stake are in hot water in the UK over use of racy social media ads featuring a video of Bonnie Blue.

The UK Gambling Commission (The Commission) published a noticed during the week announcing that Stake’s UK market facing website Stake.uk.com would be shut down next month.

The shut down order, “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…“.

The Bonnie Blue video, overlayed with a Stake logo on social media site X

Stake’s crypto-only funded gambling platform Stake.com isn’t licensed in the UK. Never has been. Their UK facing website at Stake.uk.com is operated by white-label platform provider TGP Europe Limited (TGP).

The arrangement allows Stake to market their brand in the UK, leveraging TGP’s UK license. And market they do; aggressively, including an Everton FC shirt sponsorship.

The Commission have ordered TGP stop taking any new registrations at Stake.uk.com, with the site to be completely shut down by 11 March. TGP are fully complying with the orders. It is their license on the chopping block after all.

The Commission have also written to Everton FC (and a couple other clubs) to let them know that they are now promoting unlawful gambling sites, and reminding them of associated risks.

Whether Everton take any action remains to be seen. Both the BBC and New York Times have opined Everton will most likely take the approach of nothing to see hear, move on.

Even before the Bonnie Blue stunt, Stake’s marketing strategy of sponsoring viral social media content has been seen as controversial.

In 2024 they started paying X account holders with large followings to advertise Stake – something technically in violation of X’s guidelines. This led to considerable user backlash and an anti-Stake meme campaign with users posting satirical Stake ads. As a result, the Stake logo is splashed across a lot of X content that Stake do not actually sponsor – the Bonnie Blue video included.

Regardless, the video attracted the attention of The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Commission. The rest is history.