Call us +44 (0) 1534 626830
Home News Entain Bribery Scandal: Former Executives Appear in Court as Multi-Trial Saga Begins
News
Print Article

Entain Bribery Scandal: Former Executives Appear in Court as Multi-Trial Saga Begins

03/11/2025

Southwark Crown Court, London — November 3, 2025

  • In a dramatic turn for one of the UK’s largest gambling firms, former senior executives of Entain plc — including ex-CEO Kenny Alexander, former Chairman Lee Feldman, and ex-CFO Richard Cooper — made their first appearance today at Southwark Crown Court, facing serious criminal charges linked to historic operations in Turkey.
  • The charges, brought by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), include conspiracy to bribe, conspiracy to defraud, fraudulent trading, tax evasion, and perverting the course of justice. These allegations stem from activities between 2011 and 2018, when Entain operated under its former name, GVC Holdings, and ran Turkish-facing gambling services through a subsidiary called Headlong Ltd. [financefeeds.com]

Blockbuster Case Split Across Three Trials

Due to the scale and complexity of the case — which involves 11 defendants — the proceedings have been split into three separate trials:

  • Trial 1: Scheduled to begin in February 2028, this will focus on the core group of executives, including Alexander, Feldman, and Cooper.
  • Trial 2: Set for October 2028, covering additional defendants linked to third-party service providers and payment processors.
  • Trial 3: A standalone trial for Robert Hoskin, Entain’s former Chief Governance Officer, is scheduled for March 2029, relating to charges of obstructing justice. [newsnet5.com]

Corporate Fallout and Deferred Prosecution

  • While Entain itself is not a defendant, the company previously entered into a £585 million deferred prosecution agreement with UK authorities in 2023, admitting corporate failures to prevent bribery during the relevant period.
  • The agreement shielded the company from further prosecution but left individual executives exposed to personal liability. [financefeeds.com]

Industry Impact and Ethical Reckoning

  • The case has sent shockwaves through the gambling and financial compliance sectors, raising questions about executive accountability, corporate governance, and the ethical oversight of international operations. Kenny Alexander, once hailed as a transformative figure in the gambling industry, now faces the possibility of up to 10 years in prison if convicted. [newsnet5.com]
  • As the legal proceedings unfold over the coming years, the Entain saga is poised to become a landmark case in UK corporate crime — one that could reshape how companies and their leaders are held accountable for overseas operations.

Sources

 

UNITED KINGDOM FRAUD TAX CORRUPTION FINES LEGAL

The Team

Meet the team of industry experts behind Comsure

Find out more

Latest News

Keep up to date with the very latest news from Comsure

Find out more

Gallery

View our latest imagery from our news and work

Find out more

Contact

Think we can help you and your business? Chat to us today

Get In Touch

News Disclaimer

As well as owning and publishing Comsure's copyrighted works, Comsure wishes to use the copyright-protected works of others. To do so, Comsure is applying for exemptions in the UK copyright law. There are certain very specific situations where Comsure is permitted to do so without seeking permission from the owner. These exemptions are in the copyright sections of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended)[www.gov.UK/government/publications/copyright-acts-and-related-laws]. Many situations allow for Comsure to apply for exemptions. These include 1] Non-commercial research and private study, 2] Criticism, review and reporting of current events, 3] the copying of works in any medium as long as the use is to illustrate a point. 4] no posting is for commercial purposes [payment]. (for a full list of exemptions, please read here www.gov.uk/guidance/exceptions-to-copyright]. Concerning the exceptions, Comsure will acknowledge the work of the source author by providing a link to the source material. Comsure claims no ownership of non-Comsure content. The non-Comsure articles posted on the Comsure website are deemed important, relevant, and newsworthy to a Comsure audience (e.g. regulated financial services and professional firms [DNFSBs]). Comsure does not wish to take any credit for the publication, and the publication can be read in full in its original form if you click the articles link that always accompanies the news item. Also, Comsure does not seek any payment for highlighting these important articles. If you want any article removed, Comsure will automatically do so on a reasonable request if you email info@comsuregroup.com.  
×

As well as owning and publishing Comsure's copyrighted works, Comsure wishes to use the copyright-protected works of others. To do so, Comsure is applying for exemptions in the UK copyright law. There are certain very specific situations where Comsure is permitted to do so without seeking permission from the owner. These exemptions are in the copyright sections of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended)[www.gov.UK/government/publications/copyright-acts-and-related-laws]. Many situations allow for Comsure to apply for exemptions. These include 1] Non-commercial research and private study, 2] Criticism, review and reporting of current events, 3] the copying of works in any medium as long as the use is to illustrate a point. 4] no posting is for commercial purposes [payment]. (for a full list of exemptions, please read here www.gov.uk/guidance/exceptions-to-copyright]. Concerning the exceptions, Comsure will acknowledge the work of the source author by providing a link to the source material. Comsure claims no ownership of non-Comsure content. The non-Comsure articles posted on the Comsure website are deemed important, relevant, and newsworthy to a Comsure audience (e.g. regulated financial services and professional firms [DNFSBs]). Comsure does not wish to take any credit for the publication, and the publication can be read in full in its original form if you click the articles link that always accompanies the news item. Also, Comsure does not seek any payment for highlighting these important articles. If you want any article removed, Comsure will automatically do so on a reasonable request if you email info@comsuregroup.com.  

news disclaimer -

As well as owning and publishing Comsure's copyrighted works, Comsure wishes to use the copyright-protected works of others. To do so, Comsure is applying for exemptions in the UK copyright law. There are certain very specific situations where Comsure is permitted to do so without seeking permission from the owner. These exemptions are in the copyright sections of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended)[www.gov.UK/government/publications/copyright-acts-and-related-laws]. Many situations allow for Comsure to apply for exemptions. These include 1] Non-commercial research and private study, 2] Criticism, review and reporting of current events, 3] the copying of works in any medium as long as the use is to illustrate a point. 4] no posting is for commercial purposes [payment]. (for a full list of exemptions, please read here www.gov.uk/guidance/exceptions-to-copyright]. Concerning the exceptions, Comsure will acknowledge the work of the source author by providing a link to the source material. Comsure claims no ownership of non-Comsure content. The non-Comsure articles posted on the Comsure website are deemed important, relevant, and newsworthy to a Comsure audience (e.g. regulated financial services and professional firms [DNFSBs]). Comsure does not wish to take any credit for the publication, and the publication can be read in full in its original form if you click the articles link that always accompanies the news item. Also, Comsure does not seek any payment for highlighting these important articles. If you want any article removed, Comsure will automatically do so on a reasonable request if you email info@comsuregroup.com.