UK Arrests Man Believed to Be Tied to Rory Campbell’s Betting Scheme

The United Kingdom has arrested an individual believed to have ties to a GBP 8 million sports betting scheme. While the man remained unnamed, officials noted that he might have participated in fraud related to the matter.

The Man Was Released on Bail

The man in question was described as a 37-year-old man, whose name remained undisclosed for legal reasons. The London Metropolitan Police officials explained that the arrestee is believed to be connected with Rory Campbell’s failed betting fund.

Officials elaborated that the man in question was arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation.

London’s Metropolitan Police added that the man was eventually bailed pending further inquiries.

Campbell’s Scheme Sought to Multiply Investors’ Money by Making Lucrative Bets

As mentioned, the man is believed to have had ties to the sports betting syndicate of Rory Campbell, the son of Alastair Campbell, a Tory Blair-era spin doctor. Rory Campbell swayed investors with promises of a robust mathematical model that could give him an edge over other bettors, allowing him to place lucrative bets.

The scheme attracter many veteran investors, some of whom were no betting slouches either. Campbell senior also backed his son’s initiative. In total, roughly 50 people invested between GBP 10,000 and GBP 500K in the scheme. Overall, Campbell’s syndicate managed to collect GBP 8 million.

In 2023, however, investors encountered difficulties withdrawing their money even though the fund insisted that they had made an average return of investment of 8% a year. Campbell reassured investors that everything was okay and that they could receive their funds in full by the end of July 2024. However, Campbell later changed that, telling them to expect a return of roughly 50-65%.  

In December 2024, Campbell claimed that the scheme had collapsed as sportsbooks in Asia had refused to pay out his winnings. Shortly after that, investors reached out to the police. One civil case against the scheme’s mastermind sought to retrieve the GBP 266K plaintiffs had invested, although reports say that it only managed to retrieve a fraction of that money.