A UK High Court judge has ruled that Flutter Entertainment's Betfair isn't required to repay £1.48 million ($1.7 million) lost by property developer Lee Gibson, who claimed the operator failed in its duty of care.

Gibson's lawsuit, filed in September 2021, sought damages for losses incurred through soccer betting between November 2009 and April 2019. He argued that Betfair should have recognized his gambling-related harm by 2012.

Judge Nigel Bird's 11-page ruling emphasized that Gibson never disclosed any gambling problems to Betfair. Instead, he repeatedly assured staff he could afford his losses and claimed to be a multimillionaire. The judge noted that Gibson's financial information appeared accurate and his losses, while substantial, seemed sustainable.

The case referenced the 2008 Calvert Vs. William Hill precedent, where a duty of care was established due to the plaintiff's self-exclusion. However, Judge Bird distinguished Gibson's case, noting the absence of self-exclusion or formal restriction requests.

The ruling emphasized that British law generally doesn't impose a duty to prevent self-inflicted harm. Judge Bird stated that since gambling is legal in the UK, Parliament couldn't have intended gambling contracts to be automatically void.

"A successful gambler should not be deprived of the fruits of his bet, but equally... a losing gambler should not be able to escape the consequences of his decisions," concluded Judge Bird.

Related Articles

Previous Articles