Stake to race under the Kick name at the Belgian Grand Prix

Already announced at the beginning of the year, the Formula 1 team Stake, also known as Sauber, will change its name to Kick at the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa. For the occasion, the name Kick will replace Stake on the Formula 1 cars of the two drivers.

A site forbidden in Belgium

Like in many countries, the promotion of gambling is prohibited in Belgium. Stake.com, sponsor of the Sauber team, falls exactly into this category by offering gambling games involving money. Although some sites are authorized through the Belgian license, Stake has not managed to obtain it. This makes the brand an illegal site in the country.

By extension, the promotion of an illegal website is therefore prohibited, which poses a problem for Sauber, which proudly displays the name Stake on its livery. After many discussions with local authorities, Stake will therefore become Kick for the time of a Grand Prix to allow the team to participate in the race. Which almost wasn’t the case.

A difficult partnership.

The Kick platform, which offers live videos, is actually founded by the creators of Stake.com. It’s therefore not uncommon to find promotional videos for the illegal gambling site on Kick. With a controversial promotion, the Belgian authorities were hesitant to authorize Sauber to compete under its name.

After long discussions, the gambling commission has finally allowed the team to take the name Kick under conditions. In Belgium, the Kick website will not be allowed to feature videos promoting gambling. An agreement that has been in testing for several weeks and seems to be working. For those in Belgium hoping to access the videos, an error page is displayed instead. A way to comply with the blacklists in Belgium while still offering a chance to the stable.