A provisional trial date has been set for February 2028 for former GVC Holdings chief executive Kenny Alexander, now an owner in horse racing, over alleged bribery and fraud linked to gambling services in Turkey. 

The case also involves former GVC chairman Lee Feldman and several other senior figures from the company, which is now known as Entain.

Three-Part Trial

Alexander appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Monday for a plea and trial preparation hearing. Judge Baumgartner decided to defer the arraignment, which means no pleas were entered, and further confirmed that the trial would be split into three parts. 

The first part, which will feature Alexander, Feldman, and five others, is expected to last up to four months starting February 14, 2028. Subsequent trials are scheduled for October 2028 and March 2029, focusing on other former executives, including Robert Hoskin, Entain’s former chief governance officer.

The charges stem from GVC’s operations in Turkey between 2011 and 2018 via a subsidiary, Headlong Limited. Defendants face allegations including conspiracy to bribe, conspiracy to defraud, fraudulent trading, evasion of income tax, acting as a director while an undischarged bankrupt, and perverting the course of justice. 

In total, 11 people have been charged with seven offences.

Defense, Concerned About “Blizzard” of Evidence

During Monday’s session, defence lawyers raised a number of concerns regarding the scale of the evidence, describing it as a “blizzard of material.” 

Discussions also touched on possible reporting restrictions due to the commercial interests of Entain and whether the trial might be moved to Leeds Crown Court. Judge Baumgartner, however, ruled the case would remain at Southwark to avoid disruption and additional costs.

The investigation began in 2019 after allegations that GVC had continued benefiting from Headlong Limited after selling the subsidiary in 2017 to Ropso Malta Limited. HMRC later expanded the probe to consider possible corporate offences. 

After it acknowledged the misconduct involving former employees and third-party suppliers, Entain agreed to pay a GBP 585 million ($764.6 million) penalty linked to breaches of the UK Bribery Act, alongside GBP 20 million ($26 million) to charity and GBP 10 million ($13 million) to cover CPS and HMRC costs.

Alexander, who led GVC from 2007 to 2020 and oversaw the GBP 4 billion ($5.2 billion) acquisition of Ladbrokes Coral in 2017, remains a prominent figure in racing.

His blue and white silks have been carried to victory by dual Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle and this year’s Cheltenham Festival winners Doddiethegreat and Kargese, while his Echoing Silence won a maiden hurdle at Cork just last weekend.