Labour Urges Gambling Commission to Probe Unlicensed Firms
Jacob Mitchell Key Takeaways:
- Labour urged the Gambling Commission to investigate Tether.bet and Fispay.
- Firms are accused of operating without required UK gambling licences.
- Tether.bet is Montenegro-based, Fispay is a UK company.
- Allegations follow a Sunday Times report on unlicensed operations.
The Labour party's chair, Bridget Phillipson, has formally urged the Gambling Commission to investigate claims that two companies, Tether.bet and Fispay, have been operating without the necessary licences. This call to action follows reports by the Sunday Times alleging that both firms were conducting operations in the UK without proper authorisation. Phillipson specifically requested the watchdog to examine whether these entities provided or supported gambling facilities or services to consumers in the UK unlawfully.
Regulatory Scrutiny and Allegations
The investigation request targets Tether.bet, identified as a Montenegro-based gambling company, and Fispay, a UK company. Fispay is owned by Mowbray Jackson, who serves as Reform’s data protection officer. The Sunday Times initially reported that both companies had been operating without a licence, a practice that is against the law in the UK under the Gambling Act 2005 for providing gambling facilities. Tether.bet issued a closure notice on its website on 12 August, according to the source. Phillipson's letter to the Gambling Commission specifically asks for an investigation into whether Tether.bet and its operators provided or advertised remote gambling facilities to UK consumers without a licence. Additionally, it seeks to determine if Fispay Ltd, or any other UK company, provided or supported gambling facilities or services to UK consumers without the required licence.
Company and Individual Responses
Mowbray Jackson, owner of Fispay, informed the Sunday Times that his company exclusively brokered private jet travel and had never provided facilities for gambling. George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster and long-term ally of Farage, is linked to Tether.bet. Cottrell stated he was a customer of Tether.bet and has “never solicited clients for any betting company.” His lawyers further clarified to the Guardian that Cottrell is a well-known professional gambler and that any suggestion of his involvement in unlawful gambling activity is “wholly false.” They added that he has “never invested in, owned or operated any betting company or casino” and has “never solicited clients for any betting company or casino.” Crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, whose £5m gift to Farage is under separate scrutiny, owned a company named IFX. IFX reportedly processed payments on behalf of another company that handled deposits and returned winnings. Representatives for Harborne and IFX stated that Harborne never had any role in the running and operations of IFX, and that IFX “operates in accordance with applicable regulations and legislation across the markets it supports.”
Broader Context of Investigations
These allegations are part of a broader series of questions concerning the donors and finances linked to Reform UK, reflecting the ongoing challenges in maintaining compliance across international casino markets. The parliamentary commissioner for standards is already scrutinising Christopher Harborne’s £5m gift. Furthermore, parliament’s standards commissioner reopened an investigation into whether Farage should have declared a series of gifts received before the last general election. These include the £5m personal gift from Harborne and additional financial support from George Cottrell. New MPs are required to register gifts exceeding £300 received in the previous 12 months, unless they could not reasonably be thought to relate to political activities.
