Major UK gambling operator bet365 is being sued by a student for refusing to pay out winnings of over £1 million on a bet made in June 2016.
Megan McCann, who currently lives near Belfast, Northern Ireland, placed almost £25,000 on 12 horses in four different races. She was supposed to be returned winnings of £985,000. However, the gambling operator argued that Ms. McCann violated certain terms and conditions, which meant that she was not eligible to collect the winnings.
The student has decided to bring the matter to court, lodging a writ in Northern Ireland’s High Court. Hillside (UK Sports) LP, parent company of the online gambling brand, is the defendant in the case.
According to a bet365 spokesperson, Ms. McCann has been refused her winnings because she was believed to have been able to place her bet with the help of a third party. The operator’s terms and conditions specifically prohibit third-party bets. In other words, a bettor must put up their whole stake.
The bet365 spokesperson further dwelt that the company has carried out an investigation into the occurrence and that it has found out that the above-mentioned winnings were not payable due to serious violations. The operator believes that its position will be upheld in court.
Ms. McCann claimed that she was originally congratulated by a bet365 staff member and received a call to be advised on her winnings. The then 19-year-old student was informed that she would receive her winnings within the next two days. However, that never happened. She also later on woke up to the realization that her account was suspended and subsequently closed.
The Belfast-based student has hired lawyer Andrew Montague to represent her in court. Mr. Montague was previously hired by Barney Curley, a sports bettor who was refused winnings of £825,000 by the Gibraltar gambling commissioner back in 2010.
Ms. McCann called her case a “déjà vu scenario”, referring to Mr. Curley’s own unpaid winnings court troubles from several years ago. The student declined further comment on the matter as her case is now before the High Court of Belfast.
Founded in 2000, bet365 has grown into one of the biggest online gambling groups. During the financial year ended March 27, 2016, the operator generated the amount of £1.65 billion in revenue, reflecting a 5% increase year-on-year. In-play betting was the company’s leading offering, representing 72% of bet365’s sports betting revenue. Overall stakes amounted to more than £36.9 billion. Profits were up 10% to £448 million.
