Cheltenham court charges seven over alleged bet365 bonus fraud

Seven people have been charged before Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court over alleged fraud against bet365, with prosecutors saying the group abused the operator’s free introductory betting offer for new customers. For high-risk PSPs, the useful bit is not the court drama; it is the mechanics: bonus abuse, false identity data, and criminal transfers routed through customer acquisition incentives.

1. According to the prosecution, the defendants — six men and one woman — used personal data, false representations and criminal transfers to obtain free betting credit from bet365 and move illicit funds to other accounts. The Institute of Licensing said the alleged scheme relied on abuse of the operator’s introductory offer.
2. Allegations identify Guisseppe Sangiovanni, 35, as the ringleader. He is accused of possessing lists of personal details that were used to claim free introductory funds between January 2021 and August 2023. Sangiovanni is currently in custody at Oakwood Prison, and his hearing was adjourned to 20 August because of video link difficulties at the detention facility.
3. Patrick White, 31, is accused of obtaining free betting credit through illicit means and transferring criminal property. He has posted bail and is due to appear at Gloucester Crown Court in September. Julian Mackie, 32, is facing fraud charges as well, with his case also adjourned because of technical difficulties with a video link.
4. Adon Bridgman-Simon, 33, did not attend the hearing. The court said no explanation was given for his absence, and a warrant without bail has been issued in his name. Stephianne Black, 31, is charged with supplying Primary Account Numbers while aware they may be used with fraudulent intent, and with obtaining bet365 introductory funds on behalf of Sangiovanni; she has posted bail and is due at Gloucester Crown Court on 17 September.
5. Benjamin Leach, 32, and Simeon Redway, 35, both from Gloucestershire, are also facing fraud and criminal money transfer charges. The operator targeted here is Stoke-on-Trent-based bet365, which prosecutors say was defrauded through bonus abuse rather than a straight payment raid.

This is not bet365’s first time dealing with this pattern. In 2023, Jon Howard received a five-year jail sentence after being found guilty of opening more than 1,000 customer accounts under different aliases to exploit bet365 and swindle the company out of more than £236,000.