Montenegro-based high stakes gambling site Tether.bet has shut down completely, with visitors now met by a permanent closure notice on the website.
The notice states: “This website and domain have been permanently closed and are no longer in operation.”
The company’s statement goes further, confirming that the Tether.bet brand “is no longer operating” and that no further services will be conducted through the domain.
Customers who still hold a balance with the platform have been directed to contact the company through a dedicated support email address to resolve their funds.
The closure has drawn attention partly due to Tether.bet’s association with George Cottrell, a prominent financial backer of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, though no link between Cottrell and the shutdown has been established.
Cottrell, known to some by the nickname “Posh George,” has provided significant logistical and financial support for Farage, including covering the cost of his personal security arrangements.
Cottrell has also been the subject of multiple investigations and reports relating to his betting activity, adding a layer of scrutiny to the closure of the high-roller platform.
A 2026 High Court claim alleged that Cottrell acted as a middleman, or “whale,” facilitating wagers between high roller VIP bettors in the UK and offshore bookmakers offering better odds and less financial oversight.
Offshore bookmakers of this kind typically operate outside the jurisdiction of the Gambling Commission, meaning they face considerably less scrutiny over financial transactions than licensed UK operators.
Separately, Farage has faced his own parliamentary investigation relating to a £5 million gift he received from Christopher Harborne, the Thai-based, UK-born billionaire owner of Tether.
That investigation prompted Farage to step down as MP for Clacton and trigger a by-election, with the parliamentary inquiry suspended during the period he was re-contesting his seat.
Farage ultimately won the by-election with 63.3% of the vote, returning to the House of Commons and prompting authorities to quickly reopen the suspended parliamentary investigation.
It is important to note there is no evidence connecting Cottrell’s association with Tether.bet, or his support for Farage, to the platform’s decision to permanently close its operations.
