The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has authorised the prosecution of eleven individuals linked to former Turkey-facing operations of GVC Holdings.

Amongst those charged are GVC Holdings former leadership team, ex-CEO Kenneth ‘Kenny’ Alexander, former CFO Richard Cooper, and former-Chairman Lee Feldman — who each face counts of conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to bribe.

Alexander and Feldman steered GVC Holdings for 13 years, transforming it into a FTSE 100 company through the landmark £4bn leveraged acquisition of Ladbrokes Coral in 2018, a deal with led to the creation of Entain Plc.

The charges follow a long-running HMRC investigation into GVC’s Turkey-facing business (which operated as Headlong Malta), covering the period 2011 to 2018, during which investigators suspected breaches of Section 7 of the Bribery Act 2010.

Further charges have been brought against Robert Douglas Edwin Dowling, Raymond Matthew Smart, Richard Anthony Raubitschek-Smith and James Patrick Humberstone for conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to bribe.

Alexander MacAngus has been charged with conspiracy to defraud. Meanwhile, Scott William Masterton faces a wider set of charges, including fraudulent trading, cheating the public revenue, and acting as a director while an undischarged bankrupt. Caroline Patricia Roe has been charged with conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to bribe, fraudulent trading and evasion of income tax. Robert Hoskin has been charged with perverting the course of justice.

The first hearing is scheduled for 6 October 2025 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

The development follows Entain’s decision in 2023 to set aside £585m (€680m/$746m) to reach a settlement with the CPS. The charge contributed to the group posting a statutory loss of £900m for FY2023, one of the largest losses in its corporate history.

Commenting on the case, Hannah von Dadelszen, Chief Crown Prosecutor for Economic Crimes, said: “The CPS has authorised the prosecution of 11 individuals for seven offences relating to bribery, conspiracy to defraud, fraudulent trading, cheating the public revenue, evasion of income tax, acting as a director when undischarged bankrupt, and perverting the course of justice. These offences relate to the provision of gambling services in Turkey between 2011 and 2018.”

Richard Las, Director of HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, added: “This has been a complex and international investigation. These are serious charges that relate to conspiracy to defraud, bribery, cheating the public revenue, evasion of income tax and perverting the course of justice among others.”

Last year, Kenny Alexander and  Lee Feldman  sued Entain and counsel Addleshaw Goddard, alleging withheld legal advice with regards to the charges made against them. Entain has called the claim “without merit” and vowed to contest it.

Entain has responded with a brief statement, noting that it “has no further comment to make in respect these matters, which are the subject of ongoing criminal proceedings and reporting restrictions”.

The court notice warned: “The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are active and that they have a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”