UK property tycoon Lee Gibson, who lost £1.5 million ($2 million) wagering on soccer through Betfair, has failed in his attempt to recover the money after the Court of Appeal upheld an earlier ruling that the betting exchange was not responsible for stopping his gambling.
Lee Gibson, a self-made multimillionaire from Leeds, had argued that Betfair should have recognised signs of problem gambling and intervened. But the appellate judges found no error in the High Court’s 2024 decision dismissing his case, concluding that Gibson had concealed the extent of his gambling activity and repeatedly assured Betfair he could afford the losses.
Gibson placed more than 30,000 football bets between 2009 and 2019, receiving VIP treatment that included hospitality and event invitations. His losses rose sharply over the years – to £100,000 by 2012, £500,000 by 2015, £1 million by early 2018, and nearly £1.5 million by the time his account was suspended in 2019.
In the original ruling, High Court Judge Nigel Bird said a gambler could not escape responsibility for their own decisions. “A successful gambler should not be deprived of the fruits of his bet, but equally in my judgment, a losing gambler should not be able to escape the consequences of his decisions,” he wrote.
Bird determined that Gibson had never disclosed a gambling problem, had not attempted to self-exclude and had “took steps actively to hide” the issue. Betfair staff were repeatedly told his finances were secure and that he was gambling “under control” as a multimillionaire.
On appeal, Gibson’s lawyer, Yash Kulkarni KC, argued that the volume of betting, at least 20,000 individual wagers in six years, should have raised clear red flags. Kulkarni said Betfair either knew or should have known Gibson was chasing losses, borrowing or selling assets to gamble, and wagering beyond what he could reasonably fund from his income.
But the three-judge panel led by Sir Colin Birrs rejected that argument, finding the evidence “overwhelmingly” supported the lower court’s conclusion that Gibson had “kept his gambling problem to himself.” Testimony from Betfair’s VIP manager described Gibson as “calm, level-headed and rational” and someone who appeared to enjoy his gambling.
Birrs said the judge was right to conclude Gibson appeared able to fund his gambling based on the information he provided. “The finding that Mr Gibson could – at least on the face of the information he gave to Betfair – afford to fund his gambling was not only open to the judge but was in my judgment the right conclusion,” he said.
Gibson became wealthy after leaving school at 16 and building a portfolio of up to 16 rental properties, some of which were later sold or remortgaged as his gambling losses grew. He sought to recover around £1 million for the six years leading up to his 2021 claim, arguing Betfair owed him a duty of care because of his VIP status – a contention both courts rejected.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/12/12/116725-uk-property-tycoon-loses-appeal-to-recover-2-million-betfair-gambling-losses
