The former CEO of GVC Holdings (now Entain) will face allegations related to a long-running bribery case in a trial scheduled for February 2028. Kenny Alexander and nine other defendants learned about the date during Monday’s hearing at the Southwark Crown Court in London.
Alexander, who left the role of CEO in 2020, faces allegations relating to conspiracy to defraud and tax evasion. The charges that the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) filed in August are in connection with the activity of GVC’s Turkish subsidiary, Headlong Limited, between 2011 and 2018.
bribes to ensure that the unlicensed online gambling Turkish business would run smoothly
Some people allegedly paid or facilitated bribes to ensure that the unlicensed online gambling Turkish business would run smoothly. GVC officially sold the business in 2017, although it allegedly continued to receive payments after the deal’s completion and didn’t report the profits to the UK authorities. Prosecutors believe that senior leadership, including Alexander, was aware of these offences.
The judge explained on Monday that three separate trials would take place over the course of four months. The first will involve Alexander and the former chairman of GVC, Lee Feldman.
While the legal team for the defendants requested that the trial take place in Leeds, the judge said the disruption caused by changing the venue would lead to “greater cost for the public purse.”
Entain has already admitted the historical misconduct and paid a £585m ($762m) fine in 2023. It also donated £20m ($26m) to charity and covered the £10m ($13m) in legal costs incurred by HMRC and the CPS.
