1xBet UK Operations Suspended

Online betting firm 1xbet have had their UK operations suspended following an investigation by the Sunday Times.

1xBet is a sponsor of many high-profile football clubs including Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Spanish giants Barcelona. Many players including Chelsea’s Olivier Giroud and Willian along with Liverpool’s Firmino, also have sponsorship deals with the controversial betting brand.

The Sunday Times launched an investigation into the companies global operations and found that 1xBet was taking bets on children’s sports, promoting an online casino featuring scantily dressed croupiers and advertising their brand on websites which were used to illegally stream English Premier League matches. These advertisements also featured the logos of the football clubs they are associated with such as Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

The Russian company, which is now based in Malta, has put the blame on its overseas marketing partners for their advertisements on illegal websites.

Responding to the Sunday Times, 1xBet said:

“If any of these third-party networks or partners are found to advertise the 1xBet brand on prohibited sites or sites which break the law, 1xBet shall investigate immediately.”

The companies UK website has been taken down with visitors being greeted with a message from Curacao Egaming saying:

‘We’re sorry. This Web site is not available in your country. Contact: [email protected]’.

FSB Tech, which provides online betting platforms for many UK bookmakers, have said that customers of 1xBet who have outstanding balances will have them protected. Although, there is no clear information on what customers should do in order to retrieve any outstanding funds. We recommended emailing Curacao Egaming using the email address above.