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Details of the DPA have been published following its approval on the 5th December 2023.
Leading Counsel Jane Bewsey KC and Cameron Brown KC have led Hal Watson and Angus MacDonald in the first ever Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) instructed by the CPS.
A Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) refers to a judge-supervised agreement between the prosecutor and defendant whereby prosecution is conditionally suspended while the defendant fulfils the requirements of the agreement in a set period of time.
The Crown Prosecution Service has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) on Tuesday 5 December 2023 with Entain plc, a global online sports betting and gaming business (owner of Ladbrokes and Coral bookmakers) headquartered in London, to settle the HM Revenue & Customs investigation into the Company (and its group).
This agreement was approved by Dame Victoria Sharp DBE, President of the King’s Bench Division, at the Royal Courts of Justice, sitting as the Crown Court at Southwark.
The conduct which is the subject of this DPA relates to the alleged failure by GVC to prevent bribery contrary to Section 7 of the Bribery Act 2010 between July 2011 and December 2017. The alleged bribery offences occurred primarily in Turkey. GVC disposed of its Turkish business in December 2017.
Entain plc has agreed to pay a financial penalty plus disgorgement of profits totalling £585 million, to make a charitable donation of £20 million and to pay a contribution of £10 million to the CPS and HMRC costs.
Andrew Penhale, Chief Crown Prosecutor said: “We are pleased to announce today the approval of the first ever CPS Deferred Prosecution Agreement.
“The Court has concluded that there have been sweeping changes to the company’s compliance procedures and that Entain is committed to the promotion of open and transparent gambling operations and improvement of their corporate governance.
“The wider gaming industry may wish to reflect on the implications of this agreement for their own corporate compliance procedures and, where appropriate, take action to address and report any failings they identify. The CPS will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners in this area, such as HMRC, as well as the industry regulator, the Gambling Commission”.
Read the full CPS publication hereJane Bewsey KC represents in matters of serious and complex corporate Fraud, Proceeds of Crime, Money Laundering & Proceeds of Crime and tax cases appearing as lead advocate in the Crown Court and the appellate courts.
Cameron Brown KC specialises in the most serious Fraud, Bribery & Corruption and Company Act cases. He is regularly instructed in such cases by private individuals and major corporate clients with considerable knowledge and experience of compliance issues, internal investigations, corporate criminal liability and Deferred Prosecution Agreements.
Hal Watson represents in complex criminal and quasi-criminal cases, specialising in fraud and other financial misconduct in both criminal and civil jurisdictions. This includes highly complex asset freezing, forfeiture, and confiscation proceedings.
Angus MacDonald has a successful practice prosecuting and defending in serious crime, with particular expertise in large scale and complex frauds. He has been instructed in some of the country’s largest criminal cases.
Read more from the Entain Group and the Financial Times:
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