Craig Williams Faces Long Wait for Trial in 2024 Election Betting Scandal

The £100 ($134) wager placed by Craig Williams on the timing of the last General Election has become the focal point of a widening political scandal, yet the former MP will be among the last to stand trial as proceedings slowly move forward. Williams, who was Rishi Sunak's parliamentary private secretary at the time of the alleged offence, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Friday but refrained from entering a plea.

During Friday's court proceedings, prosecutor Sam Stein KC outlined a tentative schedule that pushes the trial of Williams and several of his 14 co-defendants to 3 January 2028, indicating a lengthy delay before the allegations are resolved in court. The first group of defendants is set to go to trial on 6 September 2027, while Williams has been placed in a second group scheduled for the following year.

A court is due to hear an application to dismiss the charges on 19 January 2026, a procedural step that could shape the scope of the eventual trials.

The initial probe into Williams’ conduct was launched by the Gambling Commission, which sought to determine whether the former MP had leveraged insider information when he placed the £100 bet on the general election taking place in July 2024. When the investigation began, Williams acknowledged the bet but dismissed it as a casual wager, stating it was merely “a flutter.”

However, what started as a lone inquiry quickly grew in scale. Investigators uncovered a broader pattern of suspected misconduct stretching beyond politics and into law enforcement. The expanding investigation ultimately led to 15 individuals being charged under Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005. This provision, which criminalizes cheating in gambling, carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison for those convicted.

Williams is one of three individuals who have not yet entered pleas. The other twelve defendants have all denied the charges. The outcome of this high-profile case could have implications for both political accountability and the enforcement of gambling laws, particularly where they intersect with public office and access to confidential information.

By fLEXI tEAM