Gambling-Branded Esports Teams Forced to Rebrand for Singapore Major

Several esports teams with gambling companies in their name or branding have reportedly been asked to rebrand at the last minute ahead of the PGL Major Singapore 2026.

Four teams, BC.GAME, 1win Esports, BETBOOM and PARIVISION, are thought to be particularly affected as they would need to change their entire organisation’s name for the tournament, not just hide sponsors.

They are among a number of teams directly owned and operated by offshore iGaming businesses that have emerged across esports tournament circuits in recent years.

Teams were reportedly told they had 24 hours to change their names, logos and stickers to remove reference to gambling companies to avoid falling foul of Singapore’s gambling advertising laws.

The news was first reported by Russian Counter-Strike 2 insider Telegram channel Esports Base (База Киберспорта).

BC.GAME chief executive Ali Muhanned said in a statement that the organisation was aware of the restrictions on gambling in Singapore and emphasised its commitment to staying compliant.

“As CEO, it’s my responsibility to make sure we follow the rules, and that’s exactly what we’ll continue to do. We’ve submitted an alternative team name and are now waiting to hear back from Valve and PGL,” Muhanned said.

He added, “We were already aware of the restrictions around gambling-related branding in countries where we are not licensed. We understand the regulations and respect them, so there is no reason for us to challenge this.”

Under Section 85 of Singapore’s Gambling Control Act 2022, a prohibition on the promotion of unlicensed gambling explicitly covers sponsorship and brand-sharing agreements, including the display of gambling brands in connection with events and products.

Online gambling in the country is only permitted through the Singapore Pools, which offers fixed odds sports betting and lottery games.

Ollie Ring, a journalist with extensive experience covering the overlap between esports and gambling, said the situation facing gambling brands for PGL Major Singapore is nothing particularly new.

“I would assume they’ve all competed in jurisdictions where they’re not allowed their gambling sponsorship, so the rebrand shouldn’t come as a shock or be much of a faff,” Ring said.

He noted, however, that the last-minute demand was surprising given Singapore’s clear laws.

“Singapore is famously stringent on gambling advertising and so PGL definitely should have been aware, and made teams aware of their obligations far in advance,” Ring noted.

The PGL Major Singapore 2026 runs from 24 November to 13 December and is a key tournament for Counter-Strike 2, with concurrent viewership figures expected in the millions.

There is precedent for gambling brand-owned esports teams to change their names for tournaments in jurisdictions where gambling is illegal or heavily regulated.

BetBoom, for example, is competing in the ongoing IEM Beijing tournament in China as ‘BB Team’, while 1win competed as Team Iron Wing at The International Dota 2 tournament in August.

Similar instances have occurred in football, with Inter Milan playing without Betsson.Sport branding in Spain and the Netherlands, and Unibet donating its FC Copenhagen shirt sponsorship to the Danish Red Cross for away games in Spain.

The situation highlights the compliance risks posed to gambling operators looking to expand their footprint in the growing but highly international and cross-border esports sector.

Esports teams and tournaments in Valve-owned games Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 have long been allowed to field gambling sponsors.

Its competitor Riot Games, which publishes titles including League of Legends and VALORANT, reversed a longstanding ban on its esports gambling sponsorships last year, though it must vet and approve any gambling partnerships.

Riot’s president of publishing & esports, John Needham, said at the time, “It’s important to us to bring the same razor of scrutiny to all betting brands interested in our teams.”