Former Tory campaign chief and wife get suspended sentences for election date bets

Couple stood to win more than £23,000 from bets placed on inside information, court hears

By LineZotpaper

Published23 October 2026

Updated23 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Sources2 outlets

The Conservatives' former director of campaigning, Anthony Lee, and his wife Laura have received suspended prison sentences after admitting to cheating at gambling by placing bets on the date of the 2024 general election. Southwark Crown Court heard the couple stood to win more than £23,000 had their betting not been uncovered.

Anthony Lee was sentenced to 10 months and two weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, while his wife Laura received four months and two weeks' imprisonment, suspended for a year. Amy Hind, a former Tory party employee, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, suspended for a year, after pleading guilty to the same offence.

The court heard that then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held a private Downing Street meeting on 10 March to discuss possible election dates, months before the July 2024 vote. Neither Lee nor his wife attended, but the couple began betting online on the election being held in July or between July and September.

Prosecutor Zoe Johnson said: "Although not at Number 10, the overwhelming inference is that Anthony Lee was receiving inside information as the meeting went on and was acting upon it. Together they were using it to make a profit for themselves."

Lee placed or tried to place 71 bets, while his wife placed eight and attempted a ninth. The court heard Hind placed four bets and made three further unsuccessful attempts worth £767, £700 and £750.

Sentencing the three, Judge Tony Baumgartner said their conduct "risked undermining" the confidence the public has in the Conservative Party "as an institution", "undermining trust in the democratic process" and the "integrity of the gambling system".

Representing Lee, barrister Richard Pratt said his client did not concretely know the working date of the election, arguing it "still represented a gamble from his point of view" and that "it was always possible the prime minister could change his mind".

The trio are now banned from accessing or using online gambling websites for 12 months. Anthony Lee must complete 100 hours of unpaid work and pay more than £6,600 in compensation, Laura Lee must complete 40 hours and pay £4,265, and Hind must complete 50 hours.

Katharine Diamond, General Counsel of the Gambling Commission, said "justice has been served", describing the case as "a first of its kind" and a demonstration of the regulator's "commitment to protecting the integrity of betting markets".

Former Conservative MP Craig Williams, Sunak's closest parliamentary aide at the time, pleaded guilty in June and will be sentenced at a later date. Trials of other defendants are scheduled for next year and 2028.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The case sits at the intersection of political trust and betting regulation, with a judge warning the conduct risked undermining confidence in the Conservative Party, the democratic process and the gambling system.
It is the first prosecution of its kind by the Gambling Commission, setting a precedent for how insider information in politics is treated under gambling law.
Further sentencing and trials are still to come, meaning the affair will continue to shadow the party for the next two years.

Background

During the 2024 general election campaign, it emerged that several people connected to the Conservative Party had placed bets on the date of the election before it was announced. The Gambling Commission opened an investigation, and the affair became a running issue during the campaign. Sunak's decision to call the election for July 2024 surprised many, including several Conservative MPs who had expected an autumn date.

Key Perspectives

Judge Tony Baumgartner: The offending risked undermining public confidence in the Conservative Party as an institution, trust in the democratic process and the integrity of the gambling system. He noted the defendants were of good previous character and had expressed remorse.

The defence: Lee's barrister argued his client did not concretely know the working date of the election. The prime minister could have changed his mind, so the bets still represented a gamble, and there was no direct manipulation.

The Gambling Commission: General Counsel Katharine Diamond said justice had been served, calling the case a first of its kind and evidence of the regulator's commitment to protecting the integrity of betting markets.

What to Watch

The sentencing of former Conservative MP Craig Williams, who pleaded guilty in June.
Trials of the remaining defendants, scheduled for next year and 2028.
Whether the Gambling Commission pursues further cases against others connected to the election campaign.

Sources

Checked

11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.

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SupportedThe former Tory campaign chief and his wife received suspended sentences over election-date bets.BBC News: “The Conservatives' former director of campaigning and his wife have received suspended prison sentences after they admitted to cheating at gambling by placing bets on the date of the 2024 general election.”
SupportedThe couple stood to win more than £23,000 had their betting not been uncovered.BBC News: “Lee and his wife Laura stood to win more than £23,000 had their cheating not been uncovered, the court heard.”
SupportedAnthony and Laura Lee received suspended prison sentences after admitting to cheating at gambling by betting on the 2024 election date.BBC News: “Anthony Lee used "inside information" emerging from a private meeting called by then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to bet on the general election date months before it took place, Southwark Crown Court heard.”
SupportedProsecutor Zoe Johnson said Lee was receiving inside information and that the couple used it to make a profit.BBC News: “Prosecutor Zoe Johnson said: "Although not at Number 10, the overwhelming inference is that Anthony Lee was receiving inside information as the meeting went on and was acting upon it." She added: "Together they were using it to make a profit for themselves."”
SupportedSunak held a private Downing Street meeting on 10 March to discuss possible election dates; neither Lee nor his wife attended, but they began betting on a July election.BBC News: “The court heard that Sunak held a private Downing Street meeting on 10 March of that year to discuss possible dates. Neither Lee nor his wife attended the meeting, but the couple began betting online on the election being held in July or between July and September, the court heard.”
SupportedLee was sentenced to 10 months and two weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months; Laura Lee received four months and two weeks, suspended for a year.BBC News: “Lee was sentenced to 10 months and two weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, while his wife was sentenced to four months and two weeks' imprisonment, suspended for a year.”
SupportedAmy Hind received six months' imprisonment, suspended for a year, after pleading guilty to the same offence.BBC News: “Amy Hind, a former Tory party employee who was working as an NHS business support manager, was also sentenced to six months' imprisonment, suspended for a year, after previously pleading guilty to cheating on the date of the election.”
SupportedLee placed or tried to place 71 bets, while his wife placed eight and attempted a ninth.BBC News: “Lee placed or tried to place 71 bets during the period, while his wife placed eight and attempted a ninth, the court heard.”
SupportedHind placed four bets and made three unsuccessful attempts for £767, £700 and £750.BBC News: “The court heard Hind placed four bets and made three further unsuccessful attempts to place bets. The unsuccessful attempts were for £767, £700 and £750.”
SupportedJudge Tony Baumgartner said the defendants' conduct risked undermining public confidence in the Conservative Party, trust in the democratic process and the integrity of gambling.BBC News: “Judge Tony Baumgartner, sentencing the three of them, said their conduct "risked undermining" the confidence the public has in the Conservative Party "as an institution", "undermining trust in the democratic process" and the "integrity of the gambling system".”
SupportedThe trio are banned from online gambling for 12 months; Lee must do 100 hours' unpaid work and pay more than £6,600, Laura Lee 40 hours and £4,265, and Hind 50 hours.BBC News: “The trio are now subject to a 12-month prohibited activity requirement, banning them from accessing or using online gambling websites or applications. Anthony Lee was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and pay more than £6,600 in compensation to a betting company, while Laura Lee must carry out 40 hours of unpaid work and pay £4,265. Hind was ordered to complete 50 hours of unpaid work.”