Three people linked to the Conservative Party have been handed suspended prison sentences for cheating at gambling by placing bets using confidential information about the date of the 2024 general election.
Former Conservative director of campaigning Anthony Lee, his wife Laura Lee, a former parliamentary candidate previously known as Laura Saunders, and former Conservative employee Amy Hind were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Friday 23 October 2026. All three had previously pleaded guilty to offences under section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005, according to the Gambling Commission.
What sentences did the court impose?
- Anthony Lee: 10 months and two weeks in prison on each count, to run concurrently, suspended for 12 months; 100 hours of unpaid work.
- Laura Lee: four months and two weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months; 40 hours of unpaid work.
- Amy Hind: six months in prison, suspended for 12 months; 50 hours of unpaid work.
Each defendant is subject to probation requirements and a 12-month prohibition on using online gambling applications. Anthony and Laura Lee were each ordered to pay £1,000 in prosecution costs. None of the three was ordered to serve an immediate custodial sentence.
Confidential election-date information used for bets
Then-prime minister Rishi Sunak announced on 22 May 2024 that the general election would take place on 4 July. Before the public announcement, the proposed date had been discussed within Downing Street and Conservative Campaign Headquarters.
The Gambling Commission said Anthony Lee had access to confidential discussions through his senior campaign role. He used the information to place bets and passed it to his wife, who also bet on the election date. Amy Hind, who previously worked for the party and was employed by the NHS at the time, placed bets after receiving confidential information.
According to reporting of the sentencing hearing, Anthony and Laura Lee stood to receive more than £23,000 in returns if their bets had not been detected. The court heard that Hind's bets and attempted bets could have produced returns of more than £26,000. These figures describe potential returns, not money established to have been paid out.
Regulator says case demonstrates need to protect betting markets
Gambling Commission general counsel Katharine Diamond described the prosecution as a significant, first-of-its-kind case for the regulator. She said betting markets must not be undermined by people exploiting confidential information for their own benefit.
Further proceedings still to come
Former Conservative MP Craig Williams has separately pleaded guilty to cheating in relation to election-date betting and is due to be sentenced later. Other individuals charged in the wider investigation are scheduled to stand trial in September 2027 and January 2028.
Those awaiting trial have not been convicted. The Gambling Commission's account of the proceedings does not establish that Rishi Sunak personally placed bets or participated in the offences.
Sources: Gambling Commission: Three sentenced for General Election betting offences (23 October 2026); Sky News: Three people linked to Conservatives sentenced (23 October 2026).