On 21 September 2019, James Longley telephoned his bookmaker Paddy Power looking to place a bet of £1,300 each way on the 19.20 at Wolverhampton, on the horse Redemptive. Due to an error on the part of the telephone operator at Paddy Power, a bet was struck at £13,000 each way. Redemptive won, and Mr Longley was credited with £286,000.

In the aftermath of Mr Longley's win, Paddy Power identified the operator's error and resettled the bet based on the originally intended stake. Mr Longley then brought legal proceedings against Paddy Power, seeking to recover the balance of his winnings.

At court, Paddy Power successfully argued that no contract at a bet of £13,000 each way had been formed and further, that its exclusion clause entitling it to void a bet in the event of human error was fair pursuant to the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

We examine the Judgment and highlight the key takeaways for gambling operators and any business engaging in customer facing contracts, in our article available to read by clicking here.