The Makerfield by-election has generated record-breaking interest among political bettors, with more than £1.9M traded on the Betfair Exchange ahead of polling day.
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Ex-UK MP Craig Williams admits guilt in election betting case
Craig Williams, a former Member of Parliament and private secretary to the UK’s ex-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, has pleaded guilty to charges of using non-public information to place bets on the general election in 2024.
Alongside Williams, staffer Amy Hind has also admitted her guilt to the same offences, as both shared that they used insider information to place bets on the date of the general elections before it was publicly announced. According to the law, the pair has breached the UK’s Gambling Act 2005.
The suspicions started after abnormal betting activity was flagged connected to the July 4, 2024, election announced by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, with Williams additionally revealing that he placed a $127 bet on the election date. As a result, the concerns grew into a full investigation by the UKGC, which charged 15 people with cheating offences.
The UKGC stated:
“This was not a market to be abused by those with inside information as to when the General Election would be held. These two defendants placed bets themselves. In doing so, they cheated. They did so by using confidential and sensitive information about the date of the 2024 general election in order to profit.”
Williams and Hind have already pleaded guilty, but the remaining 12 individuals are set to face trials over the coming 2 years. Moreover, Amy Hind’s husband, Deputy Digital Director Anthony Hind, was also named in the investigation; however, it’s been revealed that prosecutors dropped the charges against him.
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