UK Bookmakers Linked to Offshore Casino Network in Casino Secrets Leak

^{William Hill is one of three UK-licensed bookmakers that jointly own Sports Information Services, the data firm named in the Casino Secrets leak. (Photo: Lewis Clarke / Wikimedia Commons)}

Three UK-licensed bookmakers that have repeatedly warned the government about the dangers of the illegal gambling market have also profited from a commercial deal linked to one of the world's largest offshore casino networks, according to an investigation published by the Guardian.

The arrangement emerged from the Casino Secrets leak, a cache of confidential files held by Curaçao's gambling regulator on the Caribbean island, a jurisdiction widely used by offshore betting sites that operate outside regulated markets such as Great Britain.

A 2022 Deal With a Curaçao-Licensed Network

One leaked file concerns the Santeda online casino network, which has been fined in Spain for operating without a licence and accused of illegally targeting vulnerable gamblers in the UK, according to the Guardian's reporting. The file shows Santeda signed a contract in 2022 with Sports Information Services (SIS), a UK-based gambling content provider.

SIS is part-owned by Ladbrokes, William Hill and Fred Done, the billionaire owner of Betfred, who collectively hold more than half of the company, the Guardian reported. SIS supplies gambling operators with live horse racing, greyhound and esports content, as well as the data used to settle customer bets.

'They're furious with SIS for doing business with Santeda, at a time when licensed operators were stepping up their warnings about the illicit market,' an industry source told the Guardian, describing the bookmakers' reaction once the arrangement came to light.

Dividends Flowed While Bookmakers Lobbied on the Black Market

Under the contract's terms, SIS received a share of revenue generated from losing bets placed through Santeda's brands, in a deal that automatically renewed unless either side opted to terminate it, the Guardian said. The leaked file does not permit SIS data to be used on Santeda sites that target UK customers directly.

Companies House filings suggest SIS shareholders, including Ladbrokes, William Hill and Betfred's owner, have received at least £37 million in dividends since the Santeda deal was signed, including £30 million in 2023 alone, according to the Guardian's analysis of the filings. Ladbrokes owns 23% of SIS, implying payouts of around £8.5 million over that period.

Matt Zarb-Cousin, a prominent gambling reform campaigner, said he had advised the bookmakers to get their 'house in order' once the deal came to light, the Guardian reported.

Entain Says It Was Not Party to the Arrangement

Entain, which owns the Ladbrokes brand, said it was 'not a party to the commercial or customer arrangements SIS decides to strike' and that it had 'raised our concerns to SIS' now that the relationship had come to light, according to a statement given to the Guardian. Industry sources told the paper that Ladbrokes, William Hill and Betfred could not have known about the Santeda deal, citing internal controls designed to stop them accessing commercially sensitive information about rivals.

SIS declined to tell the Guardian whether the contract with Santeda remains active. Santeda's Curaçao licence does not permit it to operate in jurisdictions that regulate gambling directly, including the UK and the US.

Reporters involved in the wider Casino Secrets investigation have said further findings are expected as they continue working through the leaked files, adding to scrutiny of how offshore operators with no UK licence continue to reach British customers.