Seven people charged with fraud against UK gambling operator
Prosecutors claim that the defendants manipulated the operator’s free introductory betting offer.
UK.- Seven people have appeared before Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court facing allegations of fraud against bet365. Prosecutors claim that the defendants, six men and one woman, manipulated the gambling operator’s free introductory betting offer to secure betting credit and channel illicit funds into other accounts. It’s alleged that the group used stolen personal data, false representations and criminal transfers to carry out the scheme.
Guisseppe Sangiovanni, 35, who is alleged to have led the operation, is accused of holding lists of personal details that were used to repeatedly claim free introductory funds between January 2021 and August 2023. Currently detained at Oakwood Prison, his hearing was postponed until August 20 after technical issues prevented a video link from functioning properly.
Meanwhile, Patrick White, 31, is accused of acquiring free betting credit through unlawful methods and transferring criminal property. He has been released on bail and will appear at Gloucester Crown Court in September. Julian Mackie, 32, also charged with fraud, had his case adjourned due to similar video link difficulties. Adon Bridgman‑Simon, 33, failed to attend the hearing without explanation, prompting the court to issue a warrant for his arrest without bail.
Stephianne Black, 31, faces charges of supplying primary account numbers knowing they could be used fraudulently. She is also accused of helping Sangiovanni obtain bet365 introductory funds. Black has been granted bail and is scheduled to appear at Gloucester Crown Court on September 17. Finally, Benjamin Leach, 32, and Simeon Redway, 35, both from Gloucestershire, are charged with fraud and criminal money transfers.
It wouldn’t be the first time that bet365 has been targeted for fraud. In 2023, Jon Howard was sentenced to five years in prison after opening more than 1,000 accounts under false identities, defrauding the operator of over £236,000. Following that case, UK regulators mandated stronger player verification, enhanced anti‑money laundering controls and more sophisticated know‑your‑customer procedures as part of the 2023 Gambling White Paper.
There may still be more to do in this area. The Gambling Commission has published new details from last year’s pilot of financial risk assessments for online gambling in Britain. The regulator suggests that operator shortcomings in identity verification processes undermined the scheme, highlighting recurring problems such as initials being used instead of full names, nicknames replacing legal forenames, and commercial addresses submitted in place of residential ones.
