Anthony Lee, the Conservative Party’s Director of Campaigning during the 2024 general election, has pleaded guilty to cheating offences under the Gambling Act 2005.
His wife, Laura Lee, formerly Laura Saunders, also pleaded guilty to a cheating offence after placing bets using confidential information her husband passed to her.
The UK Gambling Commission confirmed both pleas were entered on September 10, 2026, marking a significant development in one of the country’s most high-profile political betting investigations.
Anthony Lee pleaded guilty to two offences of cheating, contrary to section 42(1)(a) and section 42(1)(b) of the Gambling Act 2005, according to the Commission’s enforcement update.
Laura Lee faced a single charge under section 42(1)(a) of the same legislation, to which she also entered a guilty plea on the same date.
The Commission stated that “Laura Lee placed bets on the 2024 General Election with the benefit of confidential information passed to her by her husband about when that election would be called.”
Anthony Lee placed over 60 bets totalling £1,549 in stake, and stood to win approximately £15,000 had those wagers been successful.
Laura Lee placed eight separate bets totalling £535, with potential winnings of around £5,000 based on the insider knowledge she received.
Then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced July 4, 2024 as the election date on May 22, 2024, but internal planning for that date had already begun at 10 Downing Street and Conservative Campaign Headquarters well before the public announcement.
Anthony Lee’s senior campaigning role gave him access to those confidential discussions, which he subsequently exploited by placing personal bets and sharing the information with his wife.
The couple are among several figures connected to the Conservative Party facing legal consequences from the Gambling Commission’s investigation, which began in June 2024.
Ladbrokes initially flagged a suspicious bet placed by former Conservative MP Craig Williams, who was recorded as a politically exposed person, triggering the wider inquiry.
Further bets flagged by operators implicated other politically sensitive individuals, including Metropolitan Police officers and political advisers connected to the party.
In June 2026, Williams and ex-Conservative staffer Amy Hind also pleaded guilty to cheating charges, while charges against Amy Hind’s husband Anthony Hind, the Conservatives’ Deputy Digital Director, were reportedly dropped by prosecutors.
Sentencing for Anthony Lee, Laura Lee, and Amy Hind is scheduled for October 23, 2026, at Southwark Crown Court, with Craig Williams to be sentenced at a later date.
The Gambling Commission has confirmed that trials for the remaining ten defendants in the case will take place in September 2027 and January 2028, keeping the scandal firmly in public focus for years to come.
