The Dutch Gambling Authority, Kansspelautoriteit, has urgently requested the Sauber team to refrain from advertising for Stake during the GP at Zandvoort. Stake, an international online casino and one of the main sponsors for the Swiss racing team, has been under scrutiny as regulations around online gambling advertisements have tightened in recent years.
“It is undesirable for illegal gambling to be advertised during a Dutch event with the reach and magnitude of Formula 1,” states the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA). The organization’s board has therefore ‘urgently requested Sauber not to race under the name Stake and not to advertise for this provider’.
The KSA is aware that ‘vulnerable groups’ such as minors and young adults are drawn to Formula 1 and wants to protect them from the dangers of online gambling. The Dutch government has tightened the rules regarding online casinos and gambling platforms in 2023.
Stake F1 Team
Earlier this year, Sauber announced that it would continue as the Stake F1 Team in 2024 and 2025. In the past years, car manufacturer Alfa Romeo was the main sponsor. The renaming has since been revised several times. Livestream platform KICK, another major financier of the team, is the substitute title sponsor in countries where gambling advertisements are prohibited.
“We switch between two different names, depending on the countries where we race,” explained team boss Alessandro Alunni Bravi earlier this year. “We will fully comply with all local applicable laws. Where Stake is prohibited, we will use a different name.”
