Betfred: Blackjack player wins ₤ 1.7 m jackpot after High Court battle

7 April 2021

A Betfred punter rejected a ₤ 1.7 m prize over an alleged software application glitch has actually won a legal fight to claim the earnings.

Andy Green, from Lincolnshire, scooped the prize in January 2018 while playing a blackjack game on his phone.

The bookmaker refused to pay, claiming the error suggested the video game was not running properly.

High Court judge Mrs Justice Foster ruled in Mr Green's favour and stated the business had no premises for withholding payment.

The judgement suggests Mr Green, from Washingborough, will lastly get his payment, plus interest, after a three-year battle.

'Champagne ready'

In a statement, he said the lengthy row over the payout had made him wish he 'd never ever won.

"Together with my household, I have actually been through some extremely low times and become very down," he said.

"My physical health has also suffered badly, and I sometimes wished I 'd never won this promotion code money, due to the fact that it was simply making my life a misery.

"But today, I seem like the world has actually been lifted off my shoulders and I feel so exceptionally delighted and relieved - for me, my family and my legal team.

"The champagne can finally come off ice and be savoured."

Betfred apologised for the delay in Mr Green getting his cash and said it would not appeal versus the ruling.

Speaking in 2018, he stated he had actually gone "absolutely insane" after scooping the jackpot on the Frankie Dettori Magic Seven Blackjack game.

Following the win, he extended his overdraft and spent more than ₤ 2,500 commemorating with friends and family.

In her judgment, Mrs Justice Foster said when he later on got in touch with Betfred they "did not look for at this promotion code point to suggest besides that he was a huge winner".

But a couple of days later on, a Betfred director called him to say there had actually been a "software application mistake" and it was turning down the claim.

Mr Green stated he felt like he had actually been kicked and had his "insides ripped out" after receiving the call.

After he challenged the decision, the company at one phase offered him ₤ 60,000 as a token of "goodwill" on the grounds he concurred not to speak about it ever once again, but he declined.

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In April 2019 he took his case to the yohaig code High Court intending to sue Betfred and its moms and dad business, Gibraltar-based Petfre, for ₤ 2m, to consist of the interest he would have earned from the win.

Betfred had actually argued that the software glitch, which stopped the video game from resetting appropriately while Mr Green was playing, was covered under the terms and conditions of the game.

However, Mrs Justice Foster ruled that the wording of the provisions relied upon was "insufficient", and "not transparent or reasonable and Betfred were not entitled to trust them".

A Betfred representative stated: "Mr Green won the jackpot 3 times whilst playing a video game provided by among our third-party providers.

"The supplier reported a software issue to us and recommended that we must keep payment.

"However, we will abide by the court's choice and not appeal. We would like to apologise to Mr Green for the hold-up in getting his cash."

Mr Green's attorney Peter Coyle said he was "delighted" for his customer, including that the judgement would "promise to others who may be believing that the huge, abundant guys always win".

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Washingborough

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