Betting companies will be told which rules they must follow, which we are going to see the Court of Appeal determine.

Details

• Property developer Lee Gibson from Leeds dropped £1.5m on Betfair from 2009 to 2019.
• Legal proceedings examine whether gambling companies must shield customers from monetary damage.
• A court decision might establish binding precedent across Britain’s betting sector.

High-Stakes Legal Battle: Gambler Seeks £1.5m Refund from Betfair

Property investor Lee Gibson wants his £1.5m ($2m) back from [Betfair] in a Court of Appeal hearing that might transform betting operators’ legal duties. The 47-year-old Leeds resident claims Betfair “knew or ought to have known” about his gambling problem while he placed over 30,000 football wagers. Betfair shut his account in 2019 following what lawyers called a “prolific” betting streak where he received VIP treatment plus event invitations and rewards.

Gibson’s initial lawsuit failed in 2024 when the High Court ruled Betfair couldn’t have spotted his gambling issues since he lied about his finances. Sir Julian Flaux, Lord Justice Popplewell and Lord Justice Birss now hear whether the firm had wider care obligations beyond standard rules. Yash Kulkarni KC represents Gibson and claims Betfair’s VIP programme meant they should have shielded him from harmful betting.

Betfair Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Failure to Protect Problem Gambler

“The company knew or ought to have known that Mr Gibson was gambling at a level he could not sustain,” Kulkarni stated. This lawsuit emerges while authorities worldwide scrutinise operator duties, including Brazil, where 43 betting companies face group litigation about consumer safeguards. Betfair’s lawyers insist they followed proper checks under their licence and never knew Gibson suffered from gambling addiction.

Britain’s gambling industry awaits this appeal verdict with concern. Victory for Gibson would create fresh rules about monitoring and protecting big spenders or VIP players from betting harm.