The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has rejected Entain’s bid to block a trademark application by Italian operator Sportbet.
Entain, which owns the Sportingbet brand, argued that Sportbet S.R.L.’s logo for gambling and entertainment services was too similar and could mislead consumers.
EUIPO disagreed, stating that the terms “sport” and “bet” are commonly used and descriptive within the gambling industry, lacking the distinctiveness required for Entain to claim exclusive rights. Despite both brands offering similar services such as betting, gaming, and poker, the office found the visual and conceptual differences between the marks sufficient to avoid confusion.
Entain also tried to argue that Sportingbet enjoys enhanced distinctiveness and recognition across the EU, providing evidence such as app reviews, revenue figures, and social media stats. However, the EUIPO dismissed this as largely promotional, lacking independent corroboration, and noted that material from the UK was irrelevant post-Brexit.
Claims based on unregistered rights in several EU countries were also rejected, as Entain failed to prove the mark had more than limited local use in those markets. The opposition was fully denied, and Entain was ordered to pay €300 in legal costs to Sportbet.
