The Gambling Commission’s investigation into potential election-related betting breaches has expanded to include senior Conservative officials, including Sir Oliver Dowden, a close ally of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Sir Oliver, former Deputy Prime Minister, is the most senior figure to be interviewed as part of the inquiry into whether individuals placed bets based on insider knowledge of the election date.
The inquiry, which was launched in June 2024, is examining whether bets were placed on the July general election by individuals with prior knowledge of its timing.
The focus is on potential violations of UK gambling rules, overseen by the Gambling Commission, the regulatory body responsible for ensuring fair practices within the UK betting industry.
Sir Oliver was interviewed by Gambling Commission investigators as a witness and not as a subject of the investigation.
The interview took place earlier in the summer, with officials from the Commission seeking clarity on events surrounding the announcement of the election date.
Other prominent figures, including Sunak's former parliamentary aide Craig Williams and former Downing Street chief of staff Liam Booth-Smith, have also been questioned.
Mr Williams admitted to placing a £100 ($133) bet on a July election, days before Mr Sunak’s 22 May announcement of the election date.
Although Williams reportedly acknowledged his actions were a mistake and cooperated fully with the investigation, he was later dropped as the Conservative Party candidate in his constituency.
As the investigation proceeds, the Gambling Commission has seized hundreds of documents from the Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) and has employed former police officers to assist in the inquiry.
This investigation is expected to continue for several more months, with numerous individuals both inside and outside CCHQ being interviewed.
In August 2024, the Gambling Commission released market impact data, which revealed that the online gambling sector saw a significant increase in Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) during the first quarter of 2024-2025, reaching £1.46bn, up 12% from the previous year.
While the investigation into election-related betting raises concerns about integrity, the UK’s gambling industry continues to expand, particularly in online betting markets.
