Former Entain Executives Charged in Turkey Bribery and Fraud Case

Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has brought charges against 11 individuals, including several former senior figures at gambling giant Entain, in connection with alleged offences tied to the company’s historic operations in Turkey between 2011 and 2018.

Among those indicted are Kenny Alexander, who served as chief executive of Entain’s predecessor GVC Holdings until 2020, former chairman Lee Feldman, ex-finance director Richard Cooper, and former trading director James Humberstone. Each faces charges of conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to bribe.

Robert Hoskin, the company’s former legal director who later became chief governance officer, was already charged in February 2024 with perverting the course of justice.

Other defendants include Scott Masterston, director of e-Technologies Global, who is also accused of fraudulent trading, cheating the public revenue, and acting as a company director while being an undischarged bankrupt. Additional charges were filed against executives linked to payments provider Ilixium and other associated companies.

“This has been a complex and international investigation,” said Richard Las, director of HMRC’s fraud investigation service, in comments carried by The Guardian. “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.”

Entain itself has not been charged in the case. In December 2023, the group struck a deferred prosecution agreement with the CPS. Under the terms of the deal, it agreed to pay a £585 million ($790 million) penalty, donate £20 million to charity, and cover £10 million in investigation costs. The settlement resolved HMRC’s corporate probe into its past Turkish business operations, provided the company adheres to compliance obligations.

“The company has not been charged, and none of the individuals charged are currently employed by the company or its group,” an Entain spokesperson stated.

The matter is scheduled to be heard at Westminster magistrates’ court on October 6. Both conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to bribe carry maximum penalties of up to 10 years in prison along with unlimited fines.

Meanwhile, Alexander and Feldman have launched separate legal proceedings against Entain and its former legal counsel, alleging that privileged information was improperly shared with investigators, according to the Financial Times. Alexander, who left the industry after more than two decades, said earlier this year that he does not intend to return to gambling.

By fLEXI tEAM