Birmingham City’s Asian Betting Partner Exposed for Fake Licensing

Asian bookmaker God55 secured a regional betting partnership with Birmingham City FC despite holding no valid gaming licenses, according to iGaming Expert. The operator, however, has publicly claimed to be licensed in three jurisdictions.

Birmingham City, competing in England’s League One — the third tier of the country’s football pyramid — signed a deal last month naming Malaysia-based God55 as its official betting partner in Asia.

A press release announcing the partnership described God55 as “one of the most trusted and well-established brands in the online gaming industry,” citing licenses from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), and the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA).

iGaming Expert investigated the claim and found that God55 is not licensed in any of these jurisdictions. Moreover, the MGA confirmed to the publication that Malta does not issue licenses to bookmakers targeting Asian markets.

“Any reference to an MGA license is false and misleading,” the regulator stated.

The UK Gambling Commission requires football clubs to conduct due diligence on gambling operators they partner with.

Birmingham City, for unknown reasons, appears to have bypassed this requirement. iGaming Expert noted that verifying God55’s licensing claims took no more than 30 minutes. The club has yet to issue a statement on the matter.

Learn how to check bookmaker for Curaçao License.