The UK Crown Prosecution Services (CPS) has charged a total of eleven leaders of GVC Holdings which is now called Entain. The charges are over business activities between 2011 and 2018 in Turkey.
The charges people face are tax evasion, fraudulent trading and bribery. Kenny Alexander who was a former CEO of the group as well as having some well known racehorses and Lee Feldman (former chairman) have been charged with conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to bribe.
The governance chief from 2020-2023 Robert Hoskin has been charged separately in February 2024 with perverting the course of justice.
Some of the other employees who have been charged are Richard Cooper former CFO and ex trading director James Humberstone.
Scott Masterston has been accused of tax evasion as well as fraudulent activity.
The co-founders of payment provider Illixium Alexander MacAngus and Richard Raubitscheck-Smith have been charged. The director of Conexus Robert Dowling and the financial director of Inteliqo Raymond Smart have also been charged.
Lastly Caroline Patricia Roe who is a director of several companies is also facing fraud and tax evasion charges.
The background of GVC Holdings is they owned a Turkey facing subsidiary called Headlong Limited from 2011-2017. It was sold in late 2017 but was later investigated by HMRC.
Entertain agreed back in 2023 to pay £585m in penalties as well as £30m which will be donations and costs under a deferred prosecution agreement. Shortly after this CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen resigned but was not linked to the penalty.