UK’s High Court sides with Flutter in landmark problem gambling case

Monday, November 18, 2024 8:06 PM
  • Zak Thomas-Akoo, Next.io

The UK’s High Court sided with Flutter Entertainment on Friday (15 November) in a landmark case that probed whether operators owe a duty of care to their customers.

Property developer Lee Gibson first sued Flutter’s Betfair brand and its TSE Malta holding company in 2021 for over £1.4m [$1.8m] in losses, alleging staff had helped him circumvent problem gambling safeguards.

In the 46-page judgement, High Court Judge Bird dismissed Gibson’s claims in their entirety, stating Betfair neither violated the Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP), nor owed a general duty of care to its players.

The decision marks the conclusion to one of the most high-profile problem gambling cases in the UK courts since the 2008 Calvert v William Hill decision.