Karel Manasco, the former CEO of Mansion Bet, has been handed a 12-month custodial sentence for contempt of court. This judgment marks a significant escalation in his longstanding legal battle with his former employer, Mansion Group, which stems from allegations of financial misconduct and breaches of asset freezing orders.

The contempt of court charge arose from Manasco’s failure to appear at court, although he was represented by counsel. A warrant for Manasco’s arrest had previously been issued after he failed to appear in court during a prior session on April 9, 2025. At the heart of the case involving Manasco are allegations of financial misconduct and accusations that he failed to comply with asset freezing orders.

Custodial Sentence Issued for Contempt

The sentence for contempt of court was delivered after Manasco was reportedly found to have made a false statement in a witness statement. Furthermore, he was found to have removed or diminished assets from the jurisdiction by transferring them from his name to the sole name of his wife in an account held in Spain. This transfer of funds reportedly meant Manasco was in breach of a worldwide freezing order. The judge in the case emphasised, as reported by iGaming Times, that “this contempt is so serious that only a custodial sentence will suffice.” The judge also delivered a strong statement, as reported by iGaming Times, stressing that in a democratic society underpinned by the rule of law, court injunctions must be obeyed. The judge underscored that no one is above the law or can pick and choose which laws or injunctions to obey, even if they are convinced an injunction was wrongly granted.

Previous Rulings and Asset Freeze

The current contempt charge is part of a protracted legal battle that has seen several developments. Manasco was previously ordered to pay more than €2.5 million to Mansion Group, after it was found that the funds had been obtained illegally from the firm. Central to this issue were allegations concerning the payment of lucrative consultancy fees from Mansion Group to White Wizard Media (WWML), with Mansion making the case that the consultancy firm had provided no legitimate service to the operator. In total, 14 invoices from WWML to Mansion, totalling €2,508,035.36, were reportedly accrued between August 10, 2018, and June 13, 2019. Mansion alleges that through these payments, Manasco transferred money into offshore jurisdictions and benefited personally, claims which the former CEO has continued to challenge. This ran alongside a separate case against Manasco in which the court also ruled in favour of Mansion Group regarding fees paid to a KM consultancy firm, totalling £127,073.28. As a result of the legal battle and accusations levelled against Manasco, the Gibraltar courts froze £5 million worth of his assets in February last year (2024), following allegations that Manasco had paid himself bonuses and personal payments he should not have.

Ongoing Legal Claims and Defendant’s Stance

Manasco has reportedly taken issue with his treatment during the case, stating that he feels he has been treated unfairly throughout the process, although these claims were ultimately dismissed by the Supreme Court in Gibraltar. Manasco reportedly claimed, as reported by iGaming Times, that he felt judicial bias, adding that off the back of the Worldwide Freezing Order there was “antipathy and hostility towards him in subsequent rulings.” He reportedly claimed the freezing order was “used by the Claimants to indicate that I was dishonest and has continued to be so used… as a means to attack my integrity and to punish me with baseless contempt proceedings, which still hang over me.” He also argued, as reported by iGaming Times, that the judge “ought not to have publicly given a finding of evidence of dishonesty until he had heard the case on its merits, knowing full well the devastating effects which it would have,” asserting that from that moment on, the judge showed “an antipathy and hostility toward me that is inconsistent with his role requiring impartiality.”

In conclusion, the 12-month custodial sentence for contempt of court represents a significant turn in the protracted legal battle between former Mansion Bet CEO Karel Manasco and Mansion Group. The case is rooted in long-standing allegations of financial misconduct and, specifically, a breach of a worldwide asset freezing order, with the courts delivering a clear message about the paramount importance of obeying judicial injunctions, despite the defendant’s continued claims of unfair treatment throughout the process.