Parliamentary Candidate Blames UKGC for Costing Him a Win After He Bet on Himself

Former UK parliamentary candidate Kevin Craig, 55, who wagered GBP 800 (about $1,000) on his own defeat in the 2024 election, now alleges that the country’s UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) made him actually lose. Craig Says the UKGC Made Him Lose Craig represented the Labour Party in the 2024 UK general election, contesting the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency, where he lost by 4,290 votes. He now accuses the UKGC of interfering in the democratic process by investigating his bet and allegedly leaking details of the inquiry to the media. Craig is calling for a parliamentary investigation into the gambling regulator, which closed its probe without bringing any charges in December 2024. In an interview for iGaming Business earlier this week, he claimed that the UKGC is “out of control” and warned that other political candidates could suffer the same treatment. He also explained that internal polling had indicated he was performing well before the allegations emerged, but declined to share figures to support his claim. In 2019, before constituency boundary changes, the Conservatives had secured the seat with a majority of more than 23,000 votes. Craig further accused the commission of leaking confidential correspondence about its investigation into alleged cheating to the media. What About the Bet that Started It All? On June 25, 2024, just nine days before the general election, the Labor Party suspended Craig after the UKGC informed party officials that it was investigating his bet. Craig had wagered GBP 800 ($1,030) on the Conservatives retaining the constituency of Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, with a potential profit of GBP 400 ($515) if he lost the election. He said he placed the bet several weeks earlier because he considered his chances of winning low, insisted he had no access to inside information, and intended to donate any winnings to charity. Craig issued an unconditional apology at the time, describing the wager as “a bit of fun” and a “stupid error of judgment.” However, as the official nomination deadline had already passed, his name remained on the ballot despite Labour withdrawing its support. Five months later, the UKGC closed its investigation, concluding that there was insufficient evidence to meet the threshold for prosecution. Labour subsequently reinstated Craig. In other news from the UK, GameAccount Network (GAN) has officially surrendered its license as the company is in the midst of a large restructuring.