Man Sentenced for Running Illegal Gambling Operation in the UK

A man who ran an illegal gambling business in the UK has received a 30-week suspended jail sentence, a 200-hour community service order and a fine of more than £290,000.

Haydon Simcock, of Valley Road, Stoke-on-Trent, will be required to pay £230,000 compensation to a customer whose account balance of £269,000 had not been paid, as well as £60,000 in costs to British regulator the Gambling Commission. Simcock will also have to carry out 20 hours of rehabilitation activity.

Simcock admits charges

Simcock, a former syndicate boss and registered racehorse owner, admitted to previously supplying gambling services to consumers without an operating license between October 18, 2023 and September 11, 2024, as well as advertising unlawful gambling without an operating license between May 26, 2023 and March 1, 2024.

The Gambling Commission launched a criminal investigation in partnership with Staffordshire Police after receiving information about the activity from an investigative reporter at the Racing Post, Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard. Simcock had claimed to be VIP Commercial Manager at The Post Bookmakers.

How Simcock’s operation worked

Simcock had invited people to sign up to his gambling operation via the WhatsApp messaging app. Simcock set up accounts while acting as a customer services agent, and personally collected cash from customers for them to place bets. He also provided direct administrative back-up to the gambling transactions, by agreeing odds and offers such as matched deposits and rewards for referrals, and taking payments from customers.

Simcock’s electronic devices showed he has taken bets from people despite suspecting they were dealing drugs, and he had suggested he could make a disgruntled customer ‘disappear’.

Simcock had previously claimed The Post had 1,000 customers, including racehorse owners, trainers and racing managers. Among them were former owner Mark Dunphy, who lost close to £270,000 when Simcock’s operation collapsed. Dunphy said in a witness statement read out to the court that the situation had caused him to have two heart attacks from stress and that he had “lost everything.”

Simcock had told Dunphy that his money was “safe.” The Commission requested Simcock pay £230,000 compensation rather than the full amount as the victim had deposited £240,000 and had been paid £10,000. The Commission agreed for Dunphy to claim back money he had deposited rather than money he had won from Simcock’s operation.

Prosecutor Sam Stein KC said:

“He did all of this on the basis of extracting a financial advantage for himself.”

When informing Simcock of the decision to suspend his sentence for two years, the magistrates said he had “narrowly avoided custody.”

An unidentified individual

While Simcock was charged and sentenced, it was stated the owner of The Post was an individual called David Lyons, although his true identity had not been established and the Commission had not been able to trace him since The Post’s illegal activities were revealed.

John Pierce, Director of Enforcement for the Gambling Commission, 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.”