Former executives of Entain, the parent company of Ladbrokes and Coral, are among 11 individuals facing charges including bribery, fraud, tax evasion, cheating the public revenue, and perverting the course of justice.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed on Thursday that it had authorised the prosecution of the group in connection with gambling services provided in Turkey between 2011 and 2018.
Those charged include Kenny Alexander, former CEO of Entain; Lee Feldman, former chair; Richard Cooper, former finance director; and Robert Hoskin, former legal director, along with James Humberstone, who held several positions at the company. Six additional people with no direct ties to Entain have also been charged.
According to the CPS, ten of the accused face charges for offences allegedly committed between 2011 and 2018, while one individual faces charges linked to the subsequent HMRC investigation. The offences include bribery, conspiracy to defraud, fraudulent trading, evading income tax, acting as a company director while an undischarged bankrupt, and obstructing justice.
All former Entain directors, previously under the name GVC Holdings, have been charged with conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to bribe during the 2011–2018 period, except Hoskin, who was separately charged with perverting the course of justice in February 2024.
The case is scheduled for its first hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 6 October.
Richard Las, the director of HMRC’s fraud investigation service, said:
This has been a complex and international investigation. These are serious charges that relate to conspiracy to defraud, bribery, cheating the public revenue, evasion of income tax and perverting the course of justice among others.
A spokesperson for Entain mentioned:
The company has not been charged and none of the individuals charged are currently employed by the company or its group. The company entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the CPS in December 2023 which, subject to continued compliance with its terms, resolved the HM Revenue and Customs investigation insofar as it concerned the company and its group.
The company has no further comment to make in respect of these matters, which are the subject of ongoing criminal proceedings and reporting restrictions.
