Entain has written to the UK Intellectual Property Office calling for changes to the trademark registration process that would prevent unlicensed gambling operators from obtaining official brand protection in the UK.
In a letter sent to IPO Chief Executive Adam Williams, Group General Counsel Simon Zinger argued that operators can currently secure UK trademark registrations even when they do not hold a Gambling Commission license. According to Entain, this creates the impression that such businesses are legitimate and operating within the UK's regulatory framework despite serving British consumers without authorization.
In a sample review of 18 operators Entain believes to be serving British consumers without a Gambling Commission license, the company found that 14 held valid UK trademark registrations. Among the examples cited in the letter's annex is Pin-Up.BET, which holds only a Curaçao license. According to the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Ukrainian authorities sanctioned the brand's alleged real owner in June 2025 over reported links to Russian-linked financing, and the brand's Russian subsidiary was later sold to the former brother-in-law of Russian Prime Minister Mishustin.
Simon Zinger, Group General Counsel and Chief Customer Care Officer, said: "All of the work, effort, compliance measures, licensing, oversight and training that goes into having a safe and sustainable system in the UK is just completely eroded with these bad actors who don't comply with the regulation but are actually rewarded by the same government with a trademark right."
He also proposed that the IPO consider invoking section 3(3)(a) of the Trade Marks Act 1994, which allows refusal of marks contrary to public policy, and separately suggests a licensing gateway modelled on the Companies Act 2006 regime, under which Companies House requires regulatory approval before registering names in sectors such as banking and insurance. Entain also requested a review of all existing gambling-related trademark registrations older than five years to assess whether they represent genuine use under a valid license.
Williams acknowledged the concerns but outlined the limits of the IPO's current powers, noting that the public policy and prohibited-by-law provisions of the Act apply only to issues within a mark itself, not to the regulatory status of the applicant. The IPO confirmed it would meet with Entain's team to discuss the proposals further.
Beth Williams, Group Head of IP, said: "If you are allowing unlicensed operators the same rights and the same sort of trademark registration, that tends to dilute the potency and legitimacy of our own rights. It's damaging across the board."
Entain has separately written to the Gambling Commission requesting that it establish a program of proactive objections during the two-month trademark publication window, using its public register of licensed operators.
Operating gambling facilities in Great Britain without a Gambling Commission licence is a criminal offence under section 33 of the Gambling Act 2005
