In the UK, two businessmen who financed Nigel Farage, the leader of the right-wing party Reform UK and a prominent figure in the Brexit campaign, may be connected to the offshore iGaming operator Tether.bet, according to a new investigation by The Sunday Times.
The operator operated without a British license and did not accept regular local users. Instead, it catered to wealthy Britons through personal managers on encrypted messaging apps and only by invitation from existing players.
According to the report, the funds from these clients were funneled through the payment company IFX, owned by crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne, who allegedly transferred undeclared $6.7 million to the politician in 2024. George Cotterell, convicted in the US for fraud and secretly paying for Farage's security and staff, is identified as a key figure in Tether.bet.
The investigation revealed that Tether.bet did not request documentation from VIP players during registration and did not require a deposit, deducting bets from winnings and billing clients in case of losses. Payments also went through the British company Fispay, run by data protection specialist Moubray Jackson, and Fispay's settlements were conducted through IFX.
The individuals involved deny any wrongdoing. Jackson stated that Fispay did not provide gambling services, Cotterell claimed he was merely a client, and Harborne's lawyers indicated that the businessman does not manage IFX. The investigation found no evidence that Harborne was aware of these operations.
Weeks after the initial reports, Tether.bet abruptly ceased operations on August 12, leaving players with only an email request for fund withdrawals and redirecting them to the Philippine operator NNVIP88.