A compulsive gambler is suing William Hill to reclaim £2.1 million he lost with the company after putting himself on their self-exclusion list.
28-year-old greyhound trainer Graham Calvert says he began gambling in 2005 and in short time began placing up to 20 bets a day at stakes as high as £30,000 each. He opened an account with William Hill in May 2006, then closed it after some big bets, realizing his problem had grown out of hand. William Hill then offered him self-exclusion, which he accepted.
But Calvert was able to open a new account under his own name two months later, and he went on to lose £2 million with it. His lawsuit claims William Hill's failure to carry out its self-exclusion ban constitutes negligence and the company should therefore be responsible for the consequences.
"If I'd known I had the problem and didn't do anything about it, I would see myself as being 100% responsible," said Calvert. "The fact is that I did try to go through the right procedures and I was let down."
"Although I lost millions, this is not just about the money. I didn't do it to make money; I didn't need to as I had plenty. I did it for the thrill. Gambling is like a drug. It's like taking heroin. I didn't get a buzz from winning a £1 bet. It had to be big money at risk. In the end I was carrying fifty to one hundred thousand pounds at a time into William Hill. They could not count it in time for the races, but the bets were put on regardless. Now I've lost my wife and my children because of it."
William Hill will contest the case, which opens in high court next week.