The watchdog began its investigation in June 2024 after Sunak called a surprise election, a move that is in the gift of the prime minister under the U.K. system.
As it announced the charges, the Gambling Commission said: “The investigation, initiated in June 2024, focused on individuals suspected of using confidential information — specifically advance knowledge of the proposed election date — to gain an unfair advantage in betting markets.
“Such actions constitute an offence of cheating under Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005, a criminal offence.”
A separate Metropolitan Police investigation into election bets was dropped last August.
A host of other Conservative figures were named in the watchdog’s charging announcement of charges Monday.
They include Simon Chatfield, the former chief marketing officer at Conservative HQ (CCHQ), and Russell George, a Conservative member of the Welsh Assembly for Montgomeryshire.