Betfred: Blackjack Player Wins ₤ 1.7 m Jackpot After High Court Battle

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

7 April 2021

A Betfred punter rejected a ₤ 1.7 m jackpot over a supposed software glitch has won a legal fight to declare the profits.

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

The bookie declined to pay out, declaring the error meant the game was not operating effectively.

High Court judge Mrs Justice Foster ruled in Mr Green's favour and said the business had no grounds for keeping payment.

The judgement indicates Mr Green, from Washingborough, will finally receive his payout, plus interest, after a three-year fight.

'Champagne prepared'

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

"Along with my family, I have actually been through some very low times and become really down," he stated.

"My physical health has likewise suffered badly, and I in some cases wanted I 'd never ever won this cash, because it was simply making my life a suffering.

"But today, I feel like the world has actually been taken 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 hold-up in Mr Green getting his money and said it would not appeal against the judgment.

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

Following the win, he extended his overdraft and invested more than ₤ 2,500 celebrating with family and pals.

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

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

Mr Green said he seemed like he had been kicked and had his "withins ripped out" after getting the call.

After he challenged the choice, the business at one stage provided him ₤ 60,000 as a token of "goodwill" on the grounds he concurred not to speak about it ever once again, however he declined.

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

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

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

A Betfred representative stated: "Mr Green won the prize three times whilst playing a game supplied by one of our third-party suppliers.

"The supplier reported a software problem to us and recommended that we need to keep payment.

"However, we will comply with the court's choice and not appeal. We would like to apologise to Mr Green for the yohaig code hold-up in receiving his cash."

Mr Green's attorney Peter Coyle stated he was "thrilled" for his customer, including that the judgement would "provide hope to others who may be believing that the huge, rich guys always win".

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