A UK resident from Stoke on Trent has been fined £290,000 ($386,420) by the nation's Gambling Commission for running an illegal bookmaking scheme via WhatsApp.
The 40-year-old male, Haydon Simcock, is subject to multiple penalisations and has 'narrowly' avoided custody - according to Birmingham Magistrates - after inviting people to gamble via WhatsApp and impersonating a VIP Commercial Manager of The Post Bookmakers. Simcock has been charged with failing to pay one customer their £269,000 account balance, after targeting those he suspected of dealing drugs and suggesting he could make an angered customer 'disappear.'
Subsequently, Simcock has now been ordered to repay £230,000 in penalty fees, £60,000 in Gambling Commission costs - as well as having to serve 20 hours of rehabilitation, 200 hours of community service and receiving a 30-week suspended jail sentence.
The Gambling Commission launched an investigation into Simcock in collaboration with Birmingham Magistrates' Court after receiving a tip from an investigative reporter at the Racing Post.
Commenting on this development, John Pierce, Gambling Commission Director of Enforcement, said: "This case illustrates all the risks that consumers face from illegal gambling - links to crime, having no regard for social responsibility, repeatedly exploiting consumers and operating without any of the necessary operational safeguards in place.
"This investigation shows our determination to take action against illegal operators and protect consumers from harm. Using mobile apps like WhatsApp does not make illegal gambling invisible or beyond our reach - we can evidence such activity is taking place and we will use every power available to us to play our part in removing this unlawful activity from the British marketplace and to ensure those responsible are held to account for their actions."
This latest update follows a recent speech, delivered by the Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes, at the British Amusement Catering Trade Association Annual Convention last month, addressing the land-based black market, alongside new slot regulations and suspended licences.
Simcock has previously admitted to operating without a licence and advertising unlawful gambling between May 2023 and September 2024
