The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has launched an investigation into alleged contraventions of UK gambling rules by Stake, title sponsor of Sauber F1. They have received complaints about social media posts which allegedly feature the gambling company’s logo superimposed on viral images.
The involvement of Stake with Sauber in F1
In 2017, Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven launched Stake, an Australian-Curaçaoan online casino. They subsequently invested heavily in sponsorship deals across several sports, including Formula 1.
In 2023, Sauber, then competing as the Alfa Romeo F1 Team, announced a multi-year partnership agreement with Stake. The team subsequently renamed itself Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake. The Hinwil-based team also signed a partnership agreement with Kick, a video live-streaming service backed by Tehrani and Craven. In 2024, Stake replaced Alfa Romeo as F1 team’s leading title sponsor. The Sauber subsequently entered the season as Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber.
However, Stake’s partnership with Sauber was not without contention. In February 2024, the Swiss Federal Gaming Board (FGB) opened proceedings against Sauber over concerns that the team’s use of the Stake logo might constitute advertising, potentially violating the Federal Gambling Act.
Investigators later determined that the sponsorship agreement and Sauber’s use of the Stake logo generally fell under the definition of advertising. Despite this, in June 2024, the FGB cleared Sauber of any wrongdoing. They concluded that Sauber had not run any advertising explicitly aimed at Switzerland. The FGB also noted that the Stake platform was not available in Switzerland due to their lack of licence.
While Sauber’s partnership with Stake is no longer under heavy scrutiny from Swiss authorities, as the 2025 season draws near, the Hinwil-based team’s title sponsor again finds itself in hot water, though this time, in the UK.
Stake under investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority over alleged breach of gambling rules
As reported by The Guardian, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is investigating Stake over alleged contraventions of UK gambling rules. This comes after the UK’s advertising regulator, the ASA, received complaints about social media posts featuring the gambling company’s logo superimposed on viral images. Many of these posts allegedly feature disturbing content.
Unlike in Switzerland, Stake operates legally in the UK under a “white label” license from the Gambling Commission. This license permits its operations as long as it adheres to UK advertising regulations. These regulations require gambling advertisers to avoid creating content that strongly appeals to children or young people, especially by reflecting or associating with youth culture.
The Guardian reports that Stake faces accusations of collaborating with accounts on X, formerly Twitter, to promote its brand through unofficial and often undisclosed advertising campaigns. The allegations arose after regulators discovered numerous viral accounts on the platform posting content featuring the Stake logo. While these posts vary in content, it is believed that they are part of a trend inspired by Canadian rapper Drake.
As a Stake sponsor, Drake frequently shares images of betting slips displaying substantial wagers with the Stake logo prominently featured before sporting events.
The trend has proved profitable for some accounts which claim to have earned thousands of dollars from the practice. However, its full scope remains unclear. While X has suspended some prominent accounts, many influencers, including those with hundreds of thousands of followers, continue the trend, apparently without serious or significant consequences.
Questions over Stake’s involvement
Stake’s involvement in the trend remains unclear as the company has not yet issued a public statement on the matter. The process by which the adverts are placed is also unclear, though posts by some influencers suggest tha individuals are approached via private messages on X and paid for individual posts featuring the Stake logo.
With so much uncertainty surrounding the matter, the ASA hopes that their investigation will shed light on the situation, and particularly, Stake’s involvement. They have stated that they are reviewing the reported posts to determine “whether there are grounds for further action” against the company. If Stake’s involvement necessitates further action, the regulator may refer the matter to the UK’s Gambling Commission, which enforces gambling advertising rules. However, the ASA has noted potential jurisdictional challenges. While the ads are accessible in the UK, most of the posts appear to originate from outside the country.
