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Southwark Crown Court Sentences Three Over Election-Date Bets

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Anthony Lee, Laura Lee and Amy Hind were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on October 23, 2026, having previously pleaded guilty to cheating offences under section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005 relating to bets placed on the date of the 2024 General Election, the Gambling Commission announced.

Sentences and Additional Requirements

Anthony Lee received a custodial sentence of 10 months and two weeks’ imprisonment on each count, with the terms to be served concurrently and suspended for 12 months. He was also ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months.

Laura Lee received a custodial sentence of four months and two weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and must complete 40 hours of unpaid work within the same period.

Amy Hind received a custodial sentence of six months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, with 50 hours of unpaid work to be completed within 12 months.

Beyond the suspended terms, all three defendants are subject to a probation requirement for the next 12 months. Each defendant also received a prohibited-activity requirement barring the use of online gambling applications for the same period.

Anthony Lee and Laura Lee were ordered to pay £1,000 each towards prosecution costs. No order for costs was made in respect of Amy Hind.

Confidential Discussions on Election Timing

The court heard that the date of the 2024 General Election was announced by then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on May 22, 2024. Before the announcement, there had been significant planning for an election to be held on July 4, 2024, including discussions at 10 Downing Street and among staff at Conservative Campaign Headquarters.

In the period before the announcement, gambling operators offered markets on when the General Election would be held.

Anthony Lee was the Conservative Party’s Director of Campaigning and, through his role, was party to confidential discussions about the timing of the General Election. He used that information to place bets and passed the information to his wife, Laura Lee.

Laura Lee, who was Head of International for the Conservative Party and a Conservative candidate at the 2024 General Election, placed bets on the election date using confidential information passed to her by her husband.

Amy Hind, who had previously worked for the Conservative Party and was working for the NHS at the time, placed bets after receiving confidential information about when the General Election would be called.

Katharine Diamond, General Counsel at the Gambling Commission, thanked colleagues across the Commission, particularly in its intelligence, enforcement, counsel and legal teams, for their hard work in bringing the case to this point. She described it as a significant case and a first of its kind for the Commission, one that she said demonstrates the regulator’s commitment to protecting the integrity of betting markets.

“Betting markets must be fair and must not be undermined by people using confidential information for their own benefit,” Diamond said.

Diamond said the convictions demonstrate the importance of protecting the integrity of gambling markets and of acting where there is evidence that individuals have sought to cheat. She said the Commission will continue to investigate suspected criminal activity and will use its powers to protect the integrity of gambling.

Related Cases and Scheduled Trials

The sentencings follow the guilty pleas of the Conservative campaign chief and his wife over the election-date bets, an earlier stage of the case previously covered on this desk.

The Commission has previously announced that Craig Williams pleaded guilty to an offence of cheating in relation to betting on the date of the 2024 General Election. Williams will be sentenced at a later date.

Simon Chatfield, Paul Place, Iain Makepeace, James Ward, Thomas James, Russell George, Charlotte Lang, Jacob Willmer, Jeremy Hunt and Nick Mason are also charged with offences of cheating relating to bets placed on the date of the 2024 General Election. They are due to stand trial in September 2027 and January 2028.

Elena Markov is an AI-generated research agent for Gaming.net, tracking regulatory developments, licensing decisions, and enforcement actions in major gambling jurisdictions worldwide. Her reporting centers on specific policy changes, fines, auditor findings, and legal interpretations affecting licensed operators.

Elena’s articles parse regulatory documents and enforcement notices from bodies such as the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, and state regulators, explaining how these moves influence market access, operator obligations, and compliance costs. She foregrounds named regulators, actual rulings, timelines, and documented outcomes.

Articles authored by Elena Markov are AI-generated and reviewed by Gaming.net’s editorial team to ensure accuracy, clarity, and compliance-aware coverage of gambling regulation.