High stakes gambling site Tether.bet has closed down amid scrutiny around its use by George Cottrell, a prominent supporter of outspoken UK politician Nigel Farage.

However, there is no evidence to suggest that Cottrell – or his support for the Reform UK party leader and newly re-elected MP for Clacton Farage – and the closure of Tether.bet are linked.

Visitors to the Montenegro-based company’s website are now greeted by a closure notice rather than the betting markets and different casino games one would be used to when visiting a typical online gambling platform.

“This website and domain have been permanently closed and are no longer in operation,” the company’s statement reads. “The closure of this website is final, and no further services or activities will be conducted through this domain.”

The statement adds that the Tether.bet brand “is no longer operating”.

Customers who retain a balance with the company have been told to get in touch via a support email. However, they have also been directed to a completely different brand. 

A link titled “explore our partner’s sign up bonus” takes users to the website NNVIP88, which carries a Philippines copyright.

The website’s primary offers are casino, slots, sports and esports – and sabong, traditional Filipino cockfighting.

This is despite e-sabong, where cockfights are streamed online for betting purposes, being banned by the House of Representatives this year.

Cottrell and Tether.bet

Despite its name, Tether.bet does not have any association with Tether Limited, the developer and owner of the US dollar-pegged Tether stablecoin.

What the duo do have in common, however, is being mentioned in the same public discussions in the UK around Farage and his finances.

A £5m gift Farage received from Christopher Harborne, the Thai-based, UK-born billionaire owner of Tether, was subject to a parliamentary investigation which in turn led to Farage stepping down as Clacton MP to trigger a by-election.

The parliamentary investigation was suspended while Farage re-contested his seat. However, with Farage having won the election with 63.3% of the vote and returning to the Commons, the investigation was quickly reopened.

Completely separate from the Harborne story, Cottrell, known to some by his ‘Posh George’ nickname, is a major provider of financial and logistical support for Farage, such as paying for his security.

He has also been subject to numerous reports and investigations about his betting activity.

A 2026 High Court claim alleged that Cottrell has been acting as a middleman, or “whale”,for high roller VIP bettors in the UK and offshore bookmakers, which will often offer better odds and less scrutiny of financial transactions than their Gambling Commission-licensed counterparts.

The claim was lodged by a former member of the Starlizard Syndicate, the gambling syndicate operated by Brighton and Hove Albion FC owner Tony Bloom, a hugely successful professional gambler. 

The suit alleged that Cottrell was a whale for the syndicate, and handed over control of his betting accounts to it. According to more recent reports, one of the platforms used to place these high stakes bets was Tether.bet.

Additionally, a Polymarket prediction market account held by Cottrell was probed by UK media earlier this summer, revealing millions in bets (or “contracts” as Polymarket would prefer them to be called) on major political events such as the 2024 US presidential election.