UK
Bonus guideWhat happened
Anthony Lee, Laura Lee and Amy Hind were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on 23 October 2026. They had pleaded guilty to cheating offences under section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005 over bets placed on the date of the 2024 General Election.
The sentences
Anthony Lee received 10 months and 2 weeks imprisonment on each count, to be served concurrently, suspended for 12 months, plus 100 hours of unpaid work.
Laura Lee received 4 months and 2 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, plus 40 hours of unpaid work.
Amy Hind received 6 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, plus 50 hours of unpaid work.
All three have a 12 month probation requirement and a 12 month ban on using online gambling apps. Anthony Lee and Laura Lee must each pay £1,000 in prosecution costs; no costs order was made for Amy Hind.
What the court heard
Rishi Sunak announced the election date on 22 May 2024. Before that announcement, there had been planning for a 4 July election, and bookmakers offered markets on the election date.
Anthony Lee was the Conservative Party’s Director of Campaigning. He used confidential information about the election’s timing to bet and passed it to his wife, Laura Lee, then the party’s Head of International and a candidate in the 2024 election. She used that information to place bets on the date.
Amy Hind, a former Conservative Party employee who was working for the NHS at the time, bet after receiving confidential information about the election date.
What the Commission said
Katharine Diamond, the Gambling Commission’s General Counsel, called it “a significant case and a first of its kind for the Commission”.
Other people have been charged over bets on the election date and are due to stand trial in September 2027 and January 2028.
Another person has pleaded guilty and will be sentenced later.
Why it matters
Using confidential information to bet is cheating under section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005. The Commission says it will keep investigating to protect the fairness of betting markets.
Published 24 October 2026. Editorial information for adults in Great Britain, not gambling advice or a recommendation of any operator.
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