The gambling world can be complicated. From time to time, customers and companies may clash over a wide range of issues, from disagreements on gambling techniques to software problems. And arguments can escalate until both parties find themselves in court.
What happens then? Find out as we look at five high-profile gambling court cases below.
Crockfords Refuses to Pay Phil Ivey Over Alleged Cheating
American poker professional Phil Ivey and Crockfords Casino, a well-known gambling venue in London, were involved in one of the UK’s most high-profile gambling court cases.
Ivey had played multiple Punto Banco games at the casino and won £7.7 million in total. A nice prize by anyone’s standard — though Crockfords refused to pay on the grounds that Ivey had used a technique known as edge sorting.
Ivey maintained that he won the money fairly, while Crockfords disagreed. Ivey sued the company in a bid to receive the winnings he felt owed. However, in October, 2017, the court ruled in favour of Crockfords and Ivey lost the case.
The Ritz Takes Safa Abdulla to Court
Another of the top gambling court cases took place in the UK, when The Ritz Hotel Casino Ltd sued Swiss businessman Safa Abdulla Al Geabury in 2015. Al Geabury had been playing at the venue extensively, and wrote a cheque to cover the full amount owed.
However, the casino took him to court when the cheque bounced. Al Geabury claimed that he should not be forced to pay the amount owed because the venue knew that he had a gambling addiction. However, the judge ruled in favour of The Ritz Hotel Casino Ltd and ordered Al Geabury to pay £2.2 million.
Bruno Venturi and EuroBet Casino Disagree Over Game Glitch
The story of Bruno Venturi and EuroBet Casino is one of two gambling court cases on this list that involves a software glitch.
Venturi had been playing ‘Sixty Seconds’ at Eurobet.com back in 2009, and believed he had won a major payout of £650,000. However, the company withheld the cash prize and claimed that Venturi couldn’t receive his winnings because he only won through a software glitch caused by a virus.
This meant that Venturi had only been charged for a small number of the bets he placed on the site at the time. As a result, the company refused to pay out, and Venturi took EuroBet to court.
The judge ruled that Eurobet’s claim was covered by the terms and conditions on its website. The defendant didn’t have to pay, and Venturi was denied the money.
Isle Hotel Casino and Pauline McKee: Another Glitch Causes Trouble
The second of two gambling court cases involving software issues saw Pauline McKee take on the Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo back in 2015. McKee (aged 90 at the time) had won 185 credits on a game titled Miss Kitty. The credits were worth $1.85, but a glitch caused the game to display a message informing the player that she had won a bonus of more than $41 million.
The company refused to pay out the winnings, and she took it to court to get what she felt owed. However, the defendant claimed that game rules shown on screen mention that malfunctions make payouts void.
Lab testing revealed that the software was designed to issue bonuses of no more than $10,000. It was unclear why the glitch occurred, but the judge ruled that McKee would not receive the bonus amount.
Christian Hainz vs. Casinos Austria
The last of the high-profile gambling court cases occurred in 2004. Gambler Christian Hainz won a case against two casinos owned by Casinos Austria after claiming that the company t2e money.
The judge ruled in favour of Hainz, and Casinos Austria was ordered to pay the full amount requested.
Conclusion
These court cases demonstrate how easy it can be for customers and companies to disagree on important matters. Before using any gambling sites or brick-and-mortar venues, customers may look into a company’s background to understand any past issues it might have had.
Choosing your gambling sites with care will help you enjoy a pleasant gaming experience online. Here at Gambling Zone, we only recommend reputable sites licensed and regulated by recognised bodies, including the UK Gambling Commission.
