Ex-CEO of GVC charged: fraud and bribery in Turkey
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1 Sep 2025 •
Reading time: 2 minutes On 28 August, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) revealed that it had charged Kenny Alexander, former CEO of GVC Holdings (Entain), with conspiracy to defraud and pay bribes. He and ten others are charged for their alleged role between 2011 and 2018 in the provision of gaming services in Turkey. The complex investigation, led by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), aimed to identify fraudulent behaviour and systematic corruption within GVC’s former Turkish network.
An entire hierarchy was targeted
Among those charged were key figures in the company: Lee Feldman, former chairman of GVC, as well as Richard Cooper, former finance director, and Robert Hoskin, former general counsel. All except Hoskin are charged with conspiracy to defraud and corrupt; Hoskin faces a separate charge of subornation of justice.
Other executives from outside Entain are also being prosecuted: James Humberstone, Richard Raubitschek-Smith, Alexander MacAngus, Robert Dowling, Raymond Smart, Caroline Patricia Roe and Scott Masterton, the latter facing additional charges including tax fraud, fraudulent trading and acting as a director while insolvent.
An old and now criminal context: the Turkish story
The heart of the matter dates back to 2011-2017, when GVC operated an online gaming subsidiary in Turkey. This business was sold in 2017, but HMRC suspects that illegal practices continued there, justifying the launch of the investigation.
In November 2023, Entain entered into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with the CPS, including a £585 million fine, a £20 million donation to charity, and £10 million towards the costs of the CPS and HMRC, covering GVC’s past Turkey-related activities. This agreement concerned only the company, not the former executives implicated.
The case did not emerge overnight. HMRC began investigating as early as 2019, following suspicions about questionable financial transactions. In 2020, the case was extended to all of GVC’s past structures, moving from an investigation targeting external service providers to an investigation against the holding company itself.
Entain today: neither guilty, nor an executive concerned
It is rare for a former CEO of a FTSE 100-listed group to be the target of criminal charges on such a scale. In 2017, John Varley, ex-CEO of Barclays, was charged and acquitted. The case of Kenny Alexander therefore marks an impressive increase in the intensity of legal scrutiny of the top executives of major British companies.
Entain, the current company resulting from the rebranding of GVC, denies any involvement. It has not been charged and stresses that none of those charged are current employees. Since the 2023 agreement, it claims to have strengthened its anti-corruption policies and compliance mechanisms, clearly dissociating itself from the former management and its methods.
Next episode
All the defendants are due to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 6 October 2025. This will be the first formal hearing in this highly serious criminal case.