Former Entain execs lose lawsuit against British Gambling Commission
The former chief executive and chair of Entain claimed the regulator had breached their right to privacy.
UK.- Kenny Alexander and Lee Feldman, the former chief executive and chair of Ladbrokes and Coral owner Entain, have lost their lawsuit against the British Gambling Commission. They had accused the regulator of breaching their right to privacy.
The case revolved around the Gambling Commission’s intervention in the pair’s aborted attempt to take control of 888 Holdings, now Evoke Plc. The regulator had warned that 888 could lose its licence due to concerns about the former execs’ history at Entain (which was called GVC Holdings at the time).
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) was investigating Entain for alleged bribery at a former Turkish subsidiary. Alexander, Feldman and nine others now face criminal charges of bribery and fraud.
The regulator’s intervention included asking 888 if it knew the two had been interviewed under caution or were suspects in what was dubbed Operation Incendiary. In response, in a statement to the stock market, 888 said that it had not been able to obtain “the most basic assurances” over these concerns.
The pair argued that the Gambling Commission had breached their privacy by causing 888 to issue a statement that revealed the existence of and reasons for a licence review.
However, Mrs Justice Eady has dismissed the argument and ordered Feldman and Alexander to pay the Gambling Commission’s costs. Eady imposed a temporary order blocking the reporting of her reasoning.
In 2023, Entain agreed to pay £615m in a deferred prosecution agreement with HMRC. Alexander and Feldman’s criminal trial is slated to begin in 2029. A spokesperson said they intend to appeal against this week’s ruling. For its part, the Gambling Commission has welcomed the court’s dismissal of the lawsuit.
