Potential Links between EPL Clubs and Asia-Facing Betting Brands Raise APPG’s Concerns about the Integrity of the Sport

Members of Parliament in the UK have called for an investigation into the potential ties between some English Premier League (EPL) football clubs and a company associated with Alvin Chau, а Chinese billionaire who has recently been sentenced to 18 years in prison.

According to an investigation by The Mail on Sunday, currently, 10 clubs from the EPL are partnering with eight Asia-facing betting brands, all of which have been reportedly linked to TGP, a company based on the Isle of Man. Currently, TGP Europe holds an operating licence issued by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), which regulates the gambling industry in the UK.

Reportedly, the aforementioned company is linked to other businesses based on the Isle of Man, including TGP Holdings and Xela Holdings, but its owner remains anonymous for the time being. Possible links between TGP, TGP Europe and SunCity Group have led the investigators from The Mail to the conclusion that Alvin Chau may have been somehow involved in the operations.

After being established in 2007, SunCity Group managed to become a leading junket operator that lured affluent gamblers from mainland China to Macau, which currently remains the only destination in the country where gambling is legal. The involvement with wealthy Chinese customers who gambled in Macau brought earnings worth millions to Suncity Group. In fact, the entire junket sector there experienced massive growth before the Government of mainland China started to crack down on the industry

EPL Clubs Unlikely to Have Known about Betting Brands’ Possible Ties with Alvin Chau-Controlled Gambling Business

Chinese billionaire Alvin Chau faced an 18-year imprisonment sentence less than a week ago after being found guilty of over 100 charges related to illegal gambling activity worth more than £85.7 billion, fraud and links to organised crime. Before his arrest in November 2021, Mr Chau controlled a flourishing gambling empire involving various SunCity brands.

According to The Mail on Sunday’s investigation, it is unlikely that the 10 English Premier League clubs were actually aware that the eight Asian-facing brands they partnered with were possibly tied to an organisation linked to criminal activities. In any case, the investigation has raised a bunch of questions regarding the circumstances in which local football clubs receive millions of pounds in sponsorship money, and how the sector is regulated.

The nominal headquarters of TGP is based in Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man. Apart from working with eight Asian-facing gambling and betting brands that have been working in collaboration with 10 EPL clubs, TGP has also worked together with online platforms for no longer existing or functioning brands that once worked with the EPL, such as 138.com, and brands that once partnered with EPL teams but no longer do, such as HTH Bet.

The EPL clubs probed into the gambling companies’ operations before joining forces with them as required under the due-diligence laws. However, following the recent report of the local media hub, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on gambling harmnot addressed adequately by the EPL and the UKGC.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group, explained that the reputation of the English Premier League, which is currently one of the most easily-recognised football leagues around the world, is at risk. He also shared that the APPG is quite concerned about the potential links between brands that may be associated with Alvin Chau’s SunCity Group and the UKGC-licensed TGP.