Labour demands Gambling Commission probe into Reform-linked betting firms
Allegations of unlicensed gambling operations coincide with parliamentary standards inquiry into Nigel Farage’s financial disclosures.
The Gambling Commission has been formally urged to investigate two companies linked to Reform UK donors and allies of Nigel Farage, following allegations that they operated without the required regulatory approval. Labour party chair Bridget Phillipson wrote to the watchdog on Tuesday, citing reports that Tether.bet and Fispay breached the Gambling Act 2005 by providing remote gambling facilities to UK consumers without a licence.
Phillipson’s letter specifically requests that the Commission determine whether Tether.bet, a Montenegro-based entity, and its operators advertised or provided remote gambling services to UK residents. The inquiry also extends to Fispay, a UK company owned by Mowbray Jackson, Reform UK’s data protection officer, asking whether the firm supported or facilitated gambling services in contravention of UK law.
The request follows an investigation by the Sunday Times, which reported that both firms were operating without a licence. Tether.bet issued a closure notice on its website on 12 August. The Gambling Act 2005 strictly prohibits the provision of gambling facilities without a valid licence, a statutory requirement that forms the basis of Labour’s demand for regulatory scrutiny.
George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster and long-standing ally of Farage, is linked to Tether.bet. His legal representatives have denied any ownership or operational role, stating that Cottrell is a customer and friend of the owner. They characterised him as a professional gambler whose association with the firm was limited to personal use, rejecting suggestions that he solicited clients or engaged in unlawful activity.
Mowbray Jackson told the Sunday Times that Fispay exclusively brokered private jet travel and had never provided gambling facilities. Meanwhile, representatives for crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne denied he had any role in the running of IFX, a company that processed payments for another gambling-related entity, asserting that the firm operates in accordance with applicable legislation.
These allegations emerge against the backdrop of heightened scrutiny regarding Reform UK’s financial transparency. The parliamentary commissioner for standards has reopened an investigation into whether Farage failed to declare gifts received shortly before the last general election, including a £5m donation from Harborne and financial support from Cottrell.
Farage’s recent victory in the Clacton byelection, where he increased his majority, has not halted the standards inquiry. New MPs are required to register gifts exceeding £300 received in the previous 12 months if they could reasonably be thought to relate to political activities. A potential sanction of more than 10 days’ suspension could trigger a further byelection.
Phillipson, who also serves as equalities minister, framed the letter as part of a broader pattern of unanswered questions concerning Reform’s finances. She stated that Farage must come clean with the public regarding these allegations, asserting that he cannot evade scrutiny indefinitely.
