Ms. Renee Bell, an Aussie gambler is entering into a legal battle with the bookmaker BetEasy over unpaid winnings of approximately AU$1.2 million.
Gambler Files a Legal Complaint about Unpaid Winnings with BetEasy
An Australian gambler sues the bookmaker BetEasy over unpaid winnings of some AUS$1.2 million (US$876,342). Back in May 2018, Renee Bell placed a total of AU$500 on five bets. Back then, the bet was made with the former CrownBet which was purchased by the Starts Group in two deals back in 2018 and 2019. Consequently, BetEasy was created.
Ms. Bell placed four wagers on horse races and one on an Australian rules football game. Each bet was AU$100. Some AU$1,443,695.90 was the win that Ms. Bell’s bets returned once she won them all. But BetEasy paid back only AU$250,000, which is approximately one-fifth of the winning of the Australian gambler. Furthermore, the operator canceled four of the bets and refunded AU$400 to Ms. Bell.
Justifying its actions, BetEasy explained that this was the maximum amount that can be paid. The operator stressed that when each user that opens an account they agree to the operator’s terms and conditions. According to those terms and conditions, “The maximum payout for a multi-bet for racing and sports or a combination of both is $250,000.” In other words, regardless of how many bets a punter places, the maximum payable winnings cannot exceed $250,000. Furthermore, the operator noted the following: “It is your responsibility to ensure that it stakes according to the limits.“
The Legal Complaint Goes to Hearing of the Supreme Court
According to Ms. Bell, she never agreed to the terms and conditions of BetEasy. She argued that allegedly she never registered herself. Ms. Bell said that back in August 2015 she was registered by an employee of CrownResorts and she didn’t know about her account until she received an e-mail, confirming that she joined the Crown Resorts’ Signature Club. In her defense, she outlined that the terms and conditions were never brought to her attention even when she first logged her own CrownBet (BetEasy) account.
“When she joined the Crown Signature Club she did not agree to CrownBet’s terms and conditions and such terms and conditions were not brought to her attention,” reads the court complaint by Ms. Bell. The next chapter in this argument is set to take place on November 13. This is when a hearing of the Supreme Court will take place.