Ladbrokes facing £3.3m legal challenge over VIP bets from Spain
High roller Terry Allan is suing the bookmaker after phoning in high-stakes wagers from abroad
A Scottish high roller is suing Ladbrokes for at least £3.3m over claims the bookmaker allowed him to make illegal bets in the UK from Spain.
Oil recruitment company CEO Terry Allan filed a claim for the repayment of gambled funds totalling £3,368,531.61 between 2016 and 2018, alleging that between 2014 and 2018, he made bets averaging £400,000 per week via a Ladbrokes shop in Aberdeen.
Allan made bets so frequently that the high street bookmaker provided him with a dedicated telephone line.
At the time, betting from Spain was illegal and his favoured Ladbrokes, based in Scotland, should not have accepted the wagers.
Under Spanish law 13/2011, betting companies are required to hold a Spanish operating licence, even if the bets were placed by phone from Spain to a different country.
In comments reported by the Daily Telegraph, Allan’s lawyer Richard Howlett said the case could potentially “open up floodgates to thousands of claims from anyone who has placed a bet abroad”.
EGR understands Ladbrokes parent company GVC is very confident about defending the case when it reaches London’s High Court.
“We are aware that Court proceedings have been issued against Ladbrokes on unfounded grounds that certain historic bets were accepted illegally pursuant to Spanish law.
“We believe the claim to be entirely without merit and intend to defend it vigorously,” a spokesperson for Ladbrokes said.