Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free
Suspects in a bribery probe into Ladbrokes owner Entain have been invited to enter into plea discussions with the prosecutor for England and Wales, as it prepares to make charging decisions, almost a year after the betting group agreed to pay £615mn to resolve the matter.
The Crown Prosecution Service has sent letters in recent months to a number of individuals involved in its investigation centred on Entain’s former Turkish subsidiary, inviting them to talk to prosecutors about potentially pleading guilty to any of the alleged behaviour, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.
The letters come as the CPS, along with HM Revenue & Customs, which led the investigation, is planning to make charging decisions as soon as the end of the year, one person familiar with the probe said.
Entain — which also owns the Coral and Bwin brands — signed a deferred prosecution agreement with the CPS in December for failing to prevent bribery at its former Turkish unit, following the years-long probe. No findings were made against any individual.
At the time of the alleged offences, which took place between 2011 and 2017, gambling was illegal in Turkey. The resolution marked the first DPA the CPS had entered into since they were introduced in the UK a decade ago.
Entain, which was known as GVC Holdings at the time, agreed to pay £585mn to settle the case, made up of a £465mn financial penalty and a £120mn disgorgement of profits. The gambling group also donated £20mn to charity, and set aside £10mn to cover HMRC’s legal costs.
Under a DPA, a criminal prosecution is suspended based on certain conditions such as paying a fine and helping to bring cases against individuals. Such deals are only available to companies.
In pre-charge plea discussions, suspects are given the chance to admit to certain behaviour that may help to shape the charges a prosecutor ultimately brings. Any agreement would be subject to court approval.
Interviews with suspects in the Entain case have been conducted throughout the investigation, according to two of the people. The probe was first disclosed by the company in 2020.
The CPS said it could not “confirm nor deny our activity in relation to live investigations”. Entain declined to comment.
Entain is also facing a shareholder lawsuit from a group of institutional investors demanding more than £150mn in compensation for a decline in the company’s share price following the bribery investigation.
The full judgment and facts of the DPA will remain private until the resolution of any criminal proceedings against individuals, the court ruled last year.
Additional reporting by Eri Sugiura
