UKGC: Jail for man who misused lottery profits

A man who deprived a charity of £285,000 as he ran a lottery on its behalf has been jailed for three months.

Simon Rydings, 50, of Edinburgh, will also pay £1,000 compensation to Sheffield Hospitals Charity within 18 months of leaving prison.

Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard how Rydings failed to pass on £285,000 of lottery proceeds to the charity whilst he was Chief Executive Officer of Capen Limited – a gambling operator with an external lottery manager licence.

In a case prosecuted by the Gambling Commission Rydings admitted misusing lottery proceeds (under the 2005 Gambling Act) between 1 January 2018 and 31 March 2020.

Rydings told the court he had spent all the money on other costs running the business and that he did not have the funds to return all £285,000.

Helen Venn, Gambling Commission Executive Director, said: “Lotteries in this country can only be run for good causes – charities and other non-commercial organisations who run lotteries rely heavily on the income they receive from lotteries to support the important work they do.

“Simon Rydings completely failed as the CEO of a company with a Gambling Commission licence (ELM) and is now paying the price.

“Consumers in this country deserve to know that when they enter a lottery they are helping support their chosen cause – and we will not hesitate to take action against individuals who misuse funds in the way Rydings did.”