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A man in the United Kingdom has been convicted and sentenced for false representation against the popular online betting firm Bet365.
Jon Howard, 40, of Epping, Essex, was charged with opening online betting accounts under various individual names without the limitations placed on a single account.
Over a span of nearly 15 years, Howard had opened approximately 1000 wagering accounts, receiving £236,000. The court heard how individuals willingly provided the defendant with their personal information and he would go on to impersonate them. By doing so, was able to claim numerous bonuses all the while circumventing the company’s checks and balances.
Det Sgt Mike Monckton, Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, led the investigation into Howard.
“Betting online in someone else’s name is against the terms of use," Monckton said. "The whole enterprise was dishonest and designed to deceive the gambling company.
“When we were notified in 2018, we embarked upon a lengthy and complex investigation that took some time to unravel.
“When we executed a warrant at Jon Howard’s address in Stapleford Tawney in February 2019, it was obvious that this was set up to look like any other legal business.
“Hours were spent trawling through paperwork in different names, receipts for luxury items, bank books and 177 sim cards that were seized from the address. Substantial sums of money were involved.”
Though also charged with money laundering, the company did not find him guilty of that particular crime.
Two other co-defendants, Anna Nikolopoulos, 41, and Daniel Gorman, 45, were cleared of money laundering, though Gorman must serve 4 months prison and complete 100 hours of unpaid work for conspiracy to commit fraud against Santander Bank.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
