Three people have received suspended prison sentences after admitting cheating offences connected to bets on the date of the 2024 UK general election. Anthony Lee, Laura Lee and Amy Hind were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on October 23 under section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005.
The UK Gambling Commission said Anthony Lee received concurrent terms of 10 months and two weeks, suspended for 12 months. Laura Lee received four months and two weeks, and Amy Hind six months, with both terms also suspended for a year.
The court ordered Anthony Lee to complete 100 hours of unpaid work, Laura Lee 40 hours and Hind 50 hours. All three are subject to probation and a 12-month ban on using online gambling applications. Anthony and Laura Lee were each ordered to pay £1,000 in prosecution costs.
The case concerned bets made before then-prime minister Rishi Sunak publicly announced on May 22, 2024 that the election would take place on July 4. Sky News reported that the court heard Anthony and Laura Lee had staked more than £2,000 and could have received returns exceeding £23,000. The Commission described the prosecution as its first case of this kind and said protecting betting markets from the misuse of confidential information was central to the action.
