The political and institutional crisis surrounding betting on the date of the 2024 UK general election has widened significantly, after the Gambling
The political and institutional crisis surrounding betting on the date of the 2024 UK general election has widened significantly, after the Gambling Commission (UKGC) passed information to the Metropolitan Police concerning five more of its officers.
The officers are alleged to have placed bets on the timing of the election, potentially using privileged information. The Met has confirmed the officers serve across three commands: the Royalty and Specialist Protection Command (RaSP), the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command (PaDP), and the Central West Basic Command Unit. While the force stated that none of them currently work in a close protection role, their positions within these sensitive units raise profound questions about information security and professional standards.
This latest development adds another layer to what is a complex and multi-faceted scandal, proceeding along two distinct legal tracks.
The first is a regulatory and criminal action led by the UKGC under Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005, which prohibits cheating or the use of inside information for betting. In April 2025, the Commission charged 15 individuals, primarily political figures, under this act. The legal process for these cases is set to be extraordinarily slow, with trials scheduled for September 2027 and January 2028.
The second, and potentially more serious, track is the Metropolitan Police’s own criminal inquiry into the offence of misconduct in public office. This investigation focuses on whether serving officers unlawfully misused confidential information obtained through their duties. One officer, formerly part of then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s close protection team, is already under criminal investigation for this offence following his arrest in June 2024.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police confirmed it had received the information from the UKGC. “We have been passed information from the Gambling Commission alleging that five further officers have placed bets related to the timing of the election,” a spokesperson said.
The force confirmed that no arrests have been made regarding the five newly-identified officers and that any decision on placing them on restricted duties would be “taken in due course.” The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed and is monitoring the situation.
The widening scandal represents a severe test of public trust in both the political process and the integrity of the police force tasked with protecting it. With court dates years away, the full extent of this institutional crisis is likely yet to be revealed.
