More People Get Incriminated in the British Elections Betting Scandal

The UK Gambling Commission suggested that five more police officers have wagered on the timing of Rishi Sunak’s snap election. The national election has become the subject of controversy amid instances of potential insider betting.

According to the Metropolitan Police, the officers in question were providing protection to royals, politicians and diplomats. No one has been arrested as of the time of this writing but the investigation continues, the Metropolitan Police said.

This is not the first time a security staffer has been suspected of involvement in insider betting though. A few days ago, one of Sunak’s police bodyguards came under investigation for suspicions of using privileged information to place wagers on the date of the election. The officer in question was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Tory Candidate Admits to Placing Bets

To make matters worse, yet another Tory candidate seems to have wagered on the elections date. Scottish Secretary Alister Jack decided to come clean and told the BBC that he placed three wagers on the election date in April.

However, Jack insists that his bets were placed well before Sunak’s call for a snap election, meaning that he technically didn’t violate any rules.

I had no knowledge of the date of the election until the day it was called. I placed no bets in May and am not under investigation by the Gambling Commission.

In his interview with the BBC, Jack said that one of his wagers earned him some £2,100 but quickly clarified that this was a “joke.” Overall, he admitted to placing a £20 bet at five to one which would have earned him £120. Earlier this year, he also placed two £5 bets on the elections to be held in May and June.

The Scandal Continues

In any case, the privileged betting allegations have further undermined the credibility of the already struggling Conservative Party. The list of political insiders under investigation for wagering using privileged information currently includes the party’s chief data officer Nick Mason, Craig Williams, a senior Sunak aide, and Laura Saunders, Bristol North West candidate for the party.

Sunak recently commented on the matter, expressing outrage at the scandal. He was disappointed in his colleagues and promised to take decisive action against violators.

However, some damage has already been done.