Illegal UK bookie avoids jail but must pay victim £230K

• The Gambling Commission, in collaboration with Staffordshire Police, took down an illegal bookmaker who owed one of his customers more than £200K
• The man ran an illegal gambling business for a year and advertised his services online
• Avoiding jail, the man received a 30-week suspended jail sentence but was ordered to pay back his victim, cover trial costs, undergo rehabilitation and community service

A UK man, who operated as an illegal bookmaker via WhatsApp and failed to pay one of his customers hundreds of thousands of British pounds, was sentenced recently.

Earlier in the week, the UK Gambling Commission, the country's gambling regulator, uncovered details regarding the criminal case that involved a 40-year-old man from Valley Road, Weston Coyney, Stoke on Trent.

An investigative journalist tipped off the police about the illegal bookie

During the man's sentencing, the Birmingham Magistrates' Court heard that the Gambling Commission, together with Staffordshire Police, investigated the illegal bookmaker's actions.

The criminal investigation came after a tip from an investigative reporter working for the Racing Post.

Police uncovered that the 40-year-old man operated as an illegal bookmakerbetween October 18, 2023, and September 11, 2024, something the suspect himself admitted to.

He also confirmed he advertised illegal gambling, or offering services without the required license, between May 26, 2023, and March 1, 2024.

The 40-year-old man was directly involved in a range of operations and pretended to be a VIP commercial manager at The Post Bookmakers, as explained in a statement released by the Gambling Commission.

As a result, he was responsible for setting up player accounts, inviting people to gamble via WhatsApp, providing customer service for the clients and even personally collecting cash for bets.

Moreover, the suspect agreed and changed odds, special offers such as rewards and matched deposits, and offered its customers "administrative back-up to the gambling transaction."

While law enforcement was investigating the criminal case, it uncovered evidence suggesting that one of the illegal bookmaker's customers may have been involved in drug dealing.

The illegal bookie also made threats to harm one customer, while also failing to pay £269,000 ($358,600) to another one of his clients.

The illegal bookmaker was sentenced to pay his victim and undergo community service

John Pierce, the Gambling Commission's Director of Enforcement, said about the criminal case: "This case illustrates all the risks that consumers face from illegal gambling – links to crime, having no regard for social responsibility, repeatedly exploiting consumers and operating without any of the necessary operational safeguards in place."

Moreover, Pierce pointed out: "This investigation shows our determination to take action against illegal operators and protect consumers from harm."

The actions of the 40-year-old man resulted in a 30-week suspended jail sentence, as well as a 200-hour community service order.

The Court also ordered the illegal bookmaker to undergo 20 hours of rehabilitation activity, pay £60,000 ($80,000) in Gambling Commission costs and pay £230,000 ($306,600) to the victim.

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