On Thursday, the UK Gambling Commission announced the guilty pleas of two former senior members of the Conservative Party, Anthony Lee and Laura Lee, in connection with betting offences linked to the upcoming 2024 General Election date.
Anthony Lee, who held the position of director of campaigning for the Conservative Party, admitted to two counts of cheating under sections 42(1)(a) and 42(1)(b) of the Gambling Act 2005. His wife, Laura Lee, previously Saunders, who served as the party’s head of international affairs and stood as the Conservative candidate for Bristol North-West in the 2024 election, pleaded guilty to one offence under section 42(1)(a).
Their pleas follow those of Amy Hind and Craig Williams, who admitted to similar offences on June 29, 2026. Sentencing for the Lees and Hind is scheduled for October 23, 2026, at Southwark Crown Court, while Williams will face sentencing at a later date. The Gambling Commission has also indicated that trials for ten additional defendants are planned for September 2027 and January 2028.
The investigation by the Gambling Commission stemmed from reports of insider betting concerning the election date, launched in June 2024. This inquiry was initiated after a bet placed by Craig Williams, who was identified as a politically exposed person (PEP), was flagged by the betting operator Ladbrokes.
Several other bets related to politically sensitive figures, including Metropolitan Police officers and political advisers, were also reported. In April 2025, the Commission charged a total of 15 individuals, four of whom have now entered guilty pleas. These offences pertain to specialized betting markets that allow wagers on the exact date of the general election.
The former Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, announced that the election would take place on July 4, 2024, during a press conference on May 22, 2024. However, preparations for that date had already commenced at 10 Downing Street and Conservative Campaign Headquarters prior to this announcement.
In his role as director of campaigning, Anthony Lee had access to confidential conversations regarding the timing of the election. Instead of keeping the information private, he placed bets himself and shared the details with his wife, who also placed her own wagers using this insider knowledge.
Although UK gambling operators conduct enhanced checks on politically exposed persons, this incident highlights the limitations of those safeguards, according to Bethan Lloyd, a partner at law firm Wiggin. "PEP status does not prevent someone from gambling," she noted. Lloyd explained that while PEPs can engage in betting, they should not do so on events where inside information could confer an unfair advantage. She added that a low-ranking MP or parliamentary aide is typically not considered to reach PEP status, and it would impose a significant burden on operators to authenticate each customer's professional background.
