Keith Wyness: ‘Alarm bells ringing’ at Leicester after £30m twist
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has insisted “alarm bells must be ringing” for Leicester amid trouble for front-of-shirt sponsor BC.GAME.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – suggested the Foxes should have done better due diligence before entering the agreement with the online bookmaker.
It has been widely reported that Leicester’s deal with BC.GAME is worth £30million over two years, but that sponsorship could be under threat after a new twist.
According to Next.io (2 December), the Curaçao gambling regulator will announce on Friday (6 December) whether or not it intends to revoke BC.GAME’s licence.
The company, which has shut its UK operation, had been declared bankrupt by the Caribbean nation amid unpaid player claims.
Investigative journalism outlet Josimar (28 November) has also accused BC.GAME of running “one of the largest illegal betting networks in continental Europe”.
Leicester said in a statement last month (21 November) that BC.GAME “remain fully committed to meeting their ongoing contractual and financial obligations” but have not provided an update after recent twists.
Leicester should have done ‘a lot more due diligence’, says Wyness
Wyness told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “It’s becoming a big issue for them.
“I believed they were going to appeal the initial judgement in Curacao and sort this out.
“But it’s escalated and there’s something going on. It’s something to do with non-payment of winnings to customers.
“I don’t know the intricacies of the law, but alarm bells must be ringing for Leicester.
“A number of clubs have done deals with dodgy gambling companies, and they should be doing a lot more due diligence.
“It has been said that BC.GAME were running illegal operations in the UK and Europe as well.
“You can’t just accept the sponsorship money, it’s up to clubs to get the right partner.
“This is a mistake which has happened on Leicester’s watch.”
In other news, James Maddison responds to Jamie Vardy’s message after Leicester latest.
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