Punter who sued Betfair after almost $2 million gambling loss loses appeal
Lee Gibson lost his appeal against Betfair after claiming they failed to protect him from his gambling addiction, resulting in a £1.5 million loss.Summary
Lee Gibson, described as a “problem gambler,” has lost his appeal against Betfair in the Court of Appeal regarding a loss of approximately £1.5 million (around $2 million). Gibson argued that Betfair had a duty to protect him due to their awareness of his gambling-related harm. He placed over 30,000 bets between 2009 and 2019 and sought to reclaim around £1,000,000. The initial case was rejected by Judge Nigel Bird in 2024, prompting Gibson to appeal. However, the Court of Appeal rejected the appeal on December 8, 2025, dismissing all five grounds of his claim, including challenges to breach of license conditions, duty of care, negligence, causation, and the validity of gambling contracts. The court concluded that Betfair did not know, nor should they have known, that Gibson was a problem gambler.
(Source：Readwrite)