A compulsive gambler who lost £2 million is making legal history by heading to court to sue a bookmaker for allowing him to keep betting.
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Graham Calvert, 28, who began betting in August 2005 and set up an account with William Hill in May 2006, wants the betting agents to pay back his losses.
Mr Calvert, a respected greyhound trainer from Tyne and Wear who at one stage was earning up to £30,000 a month, initially bet £1,000 to £5,000 a time but this quickly grew to single bets of up to £30,000.
In May 2006, he claims he told William Hill that he wanted his account closed and his "self-exclusion" appeal was taped by the bookmaker. He repeated this request a month later but was allowed to carry on betting until December.
He claims he asked to be barred after betting £3.5 million, of which he lost £2,028,858.
Some days he would place 20 bets at £30,000 a punt. He bet a whopping £7.5 million in 16 months, sometimes bringing bin liners stuffed with £100,000 cash to place his bets.
In 2006, he placed £347,000 on America to win the Ryder Cup but lost. At the time, it was the biggest golf bet in history.
Mr Calvert, whose marriage broke down because of his gambling, said: "If I'd known I had the problem and didn't do anything about it, I would see myself as being 100 per cent responsible.
"The fact is that I did try to go through the right procedures and I was let down."
Mr Calvert alleges the betting chain failed in its duty of care and is taking William Hill to the High Court on Monday. The bookmaker vigorously contests the allegations.
William Hill sagsøges
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14-02-2008 11:50
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14-02-2008 12:03
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Det er fascinerende at læse de her historier. Også den legendariske historie om Karas (sp?) bør læses. Det er vildt, at de her ultra-gamblere på intet tidspunkt er i stand til at stoppe - selv når de har vundet så meget, at de er dækket ind resten af livet, hvis bare de vender snuden hjemad.
14-02-2008 12:56
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Fack det er mange penge.. £347,000 er satme mange penge på et enkelt bet!
14-02-2008 13:01
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karas?
14-02-2008 13:36
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@Jesper
14-02-2008 14:14
#9|
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Jeg har William Hill til at vinde retssagen til odds 1,000000000000001
14-02-2008 15:01
#10|
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Tror også man kan, add Lodden til listen.
14-02-2008 15:26
#12|
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Jeg mener, at der har været en lignende retsag i Australien. Der sagsøgte en mand et kasino, så det kan ikke helt sammenlignes.
14-02-2008 16:44
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@rocksantos
14-02-2008 18:58
#14|
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Gad vide, om jeg kan sagsøge Carlsberg for diverse knubs affødt af diverse drukture gennem tiderne?
15-02-2008 15:54
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NEPatriots OP
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