Two former GVC Holdings executives initiated legal proceedings against the Gambling Commission in the UK High Court on 29 October.
The Entain predecessor’s ex-CEO Kenny Alexander and chairman Lee Feldman have filed a claim against the UK’s gambling regulator alleging misuse of private information.
It follows the executives’ failed leadership bid at 888 in summer 2023 though their FS Gaming vehicle, which collapsed after the Commission began a licence review into the London-listed operator.
This came after the regulator expressed concern regarding an ongoing HMRC investigation into GVC’s historic activities in the Turkish grey market, which featured allegations of bribery and corruption.
While Entain entered into a £615m Deferred Prosecution Agreement with the Crown Prosecution Service in December 2023, commentators have noted the deal does not apply to former GVC executives.
It is unknown if the new case against the regulator is related to this matter.
When contacted, the Gambling Commission told NEXT.io it does not comment on ongoing legal proceedings.
Commission accused of misusing private information
Misuse of private information is a common law tort in the UK which provides for people to take legal action if their private information has been disclosed without their consent.
To establish whether this has occurred, UK courts use a two-stage test.
This involves determining whether there has been unwanted access to private information, and a balancing test which weighs the right to privacy against other rights.
While no filings have so far been uploaded to the docket, Feldman and Alexander are represented by specialist reputation and privacy law firm Slateford.
Alexander is a well-known figure in the gambling industry, widely credited with building GVC into one of the world’s largest online gambling companies during his 13 years as CEO.
Highlights of his tenure included the £1.1bn reverse takeover of its larger competitor bwin in 2016, as well as the £4bn acquisition of Ladbrokes Coral the following year.