Christopher Mosdall from Essex admitted administering the drug Cyclizine to two dogs between 1 April and 16 August of last year. By giving Cyclizine to dogs, Mosdall manipulated the outcome of races and ensured the dogs did not run as fast as they could have. His illegal tactics were captured in a BBC Panorama documentary and the case was prosecuted by the Gambling Commission.
Judge Peter Lodder QC, from Kingston Crown Court today, said: “You knew all too well that it strikes at the very heart of gambling. Ordinary gamblers are entitled to assume they have a fair chance and to assume that betting markets are open and above board. Your behaviour corrupts the process and significantly damages that trust.”
Nick Tofiluk, Commission Director of Regulation, said: “The Gambling Commission is committed to keeping crime out of gambling and this case shows that we will act against those seeking to corrupt the integrity of sports betting and associated sports”.
This is the first time such a type of case had been brought by the Gambling Commission and is seen as being ground-breaking by widening the scope of potential criminal proceedings.