Filing under fire
Ex-GVC executives Kenny Alexander and Lee Feldman have begun a civil claim against the UK Gambling Commission while looking down the barrel of a 2028 trial in which they will face charges of bribery and fraud.
breached their right to privacy
On Monday, The Guardian reported that the pair claim the UKGC breached their right to privacy during the regulator’s intervention in their attempted takeover of online casino firm 888. Alexander and Feldman were CEO and Chairman, respectively, of GVC, now called Entain, with the former overseeing the 2011 purchase and 2017 sale of Entain’s ex-Turkish brand Sportingbet.
In June 2023, after a series of deals, Alexander and Feldman’s FS Gaming purchased a 6.57% stake in 888 and, one month later, made moves to take the helm of 888 in their accustomed roles of CEO and Chairman.
The UKGC, however, announced it was investigating FS Gaming’s investment into 888 over the pair’s Turkey past, leading 888 with “no option but to terminate discussions” with GVC.
Loss of face
The fact that 888 publicly disclosed that its own license was being reviewed by the UK regulator over links to Alexander and Feldman is why the pair are suing the UKGC for “misuse of private information and/or breach of confidence.”
The ex-GVC execs also claim the UKGC violated their rights in a March 2024 statement that 888’s license review was over because FS Gaming’s takeover bid was no longer going ahead.
loss of standing”
Feldman and Alexander claim the regulator’s actions have caused them “damage, distress and embarrassment, as well as the loss of standing”.
The pair claim the Commission’s statement “gave the clear impression that there had effectively been an adverse finding” that made both Alexander and Feldman unsuitable to take over at 888.
Expected response
According to The Guardian, the UKGC will defend itself by stating none of the publications relating to Feldman or Alexander disclosed their private information, nor have the men been caused any damage. The Commission is also expected to assert that any disclosure of information about Feldman or Alexander “was in the public interest.”
As the festive season gets into swing, it is in the public interest to be reminded of the time Alexander admitted to “stealing a takeaway driver’s vehicle from outside a kebab shop and embarking on a drunken joyride through Perth, Scotland.” He was fined £1,000 ($1,331) and banned from driving.
