WhatsApp Bookie Who Withheld £269K from Player Avoids Jail

A man who operated an unlicensed gambling business through WhatsApp and failed to pay a customer £269,000 has been sentenced to 30 weeks in prison, suspended for two years.

Haydon Simcock, 40, of Valley Road in Weston Coyney, Stoke-on-Trent, was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, 20 hours of rehabilitation activity, and pay £230,000 in compensation to the victim, along with £60,000 in costs to the Gambling Commission.

Gambling Without a Licence, and With No Payouts

Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard that Simcock ran an illegal betting operation without a licence between October 2023 and September 2024. He also unlawfully promoted gambling services between May 2023 and March 2024, both criminal offences under the Gambling Act 2005.

The Gambling Commission, in partnership with Staffordshire Police, launched an investigation after receiving a tip-off from a Racing Post journalist. That probe led to Simcock, who was posing as the “VIP commercial manager” at a legitimate business, The Post Bookmakers.

The court was told Simcock handled every part of the illegal operation, from customer service and odds-setting to personally collecting cash from players. He used WhatsApp to invite people to bet and offered inducements such as matched deposits and referral bonuses, all without oversight or consumer protection.

Allegations of Threats, Drug Links, and £269K in Missing Winnings

Authorities recovered electronic records that revealed Simcock took bets from individuals he suspected of being drug dealers and once suggested he could make a customer “disappear.” Most notably, he refused to pay a bettor his £269,000 account balance, while insisting the funds were “safe.”

Magistrates warned that Simcock “narrowly avoided custody,” suspending his sentence on the condition he complies fully with the court’s rehabilitation and repayment orders.

John Pierce, Director of Enforcement at the Gambling Commission, said the case highlighted the risks of illegal gambling operators who operate outside regulatory frameworks.

“This case illustrates all the risks that consumers face from illegal gambling, links to crime, having no regard for social responsibility, repeatedly exploiting consumers and operating without any of the necessary operational safeguards in place,” Pierce said. 

The incident may fuel more claims that the future may be rife with black market operators like this as legitimate regulated operators struggle under political dictats and demand on their finances.

John Pierce said: “Using mobile apps like WhatsApp does not make illegal gambling invisible or beyond our reach. We will use every power available to us to remove this unlawful activity from the British marketplace and hold those responsible to account.” 

Unregulated Online Platforms Pose Real Risk

This case is a stark reminder that betting through unlicensed channels, especially social media platforms like WhatsApp, can be dangerous and costly. Simcock’s operation not only bypassed all legal and ethical standards but left customers vulnerable to fraud, threats, and financial loss.

For anyone betting in the UK, using a licensed online casino operator is essential. The UK Gambling Commission maintains a searchable public register of all approved operators, and only these platforms offer consumer protections such as dispute resolution, secure payments, and responsible gambling tools.