Gambler sues Ladbrokes Coral for over £3.3 million

Gambler Terry Allan, a gambler from Aberdeen, Scotland is suing a UK betting firm for over £3.3 million.  

The 57-year old gambler claims that his wagers made with UK betting firm, Ladbrokes Coral, were illegal as these were placed while he was in Spain. He has already filed his case at London’s High Court. The case details that he has placed various individual bets amounting to £400,000 a week between 2014 – 2018 because of this, the firm has provided him with his own dedicated phone line to the betting firm’s branch in Rose Street, Aberdeen.   It further details that many of the bets placed with the shop were illegal as these were made over the phone while he was in Spain.  it also claims that Ladbrokes Coral glossed over his current betting location by telling staff at the branch to not ask him where he was so that the company would not be forced to decline any wagers that he placed when he was in Spain.  

Moreover, he claims that he was in very good terms with the betting shop’s staff as he frequently told them stories about his travels.  He also claims to have played golf with Ladbrokes Coral’s senior management while he was in Spain and he alleges that he was allowed to continue to place telephone bets despite managers knowing the situation.  

His case argues that since 2011, the Spanish law dictates that betting companies need a license to provide and perform betting services in Spain even if the intended operator is operating outside the country.  His case further details that the betting firm and its remote betting service, Ladbrokes Premier, did not have the necessary licenses to operate in Spain, making all of his placed bets while in Spain illegal.   It also claims that since Ladbrokes Coral has several business interests in various European countries including Spain, it should have been aware of the laws and enforced them.  His case argues that the betting firm has unjustly enriched itself by receiving his bets thus, he is seeking the reimbursement of his placed bets amounting to  £3,368,531.61 with an interest of 8% a year on top.  

Mr. Allan fleshed out the details of his case further as he claims that back in 2015, he was asked by the betting shop’s manager, Alison Casse, to use Ladbrokes’ Premier betting service while he was abroad.   He also claims that the betting firm had asked Ms. Casse to recommend the Premier service despite knowing that his bets from Spain were illegal, turning a blind eye to the illegality.   

Lawyer Richard Howlett commented on the matter saying that if Mr. Allan wins this case it would open up floodgates to thousands of claims from anyone who has placed a bet from abroad.

Ladbrokes released a statement on the matter saying that the company is aware that proceedings have been issued on unfounded grounds that certain historic bets were accepted illegally pursuant to Spanish law but the company believes that the claim is entirely without merit.