Going to the Dogs, the British Way

[Boscar Obarra]

My only comment.....I\'m waiting for the day one of our trainers admits to making $75,000 a year at the windows.


Compulsive gambler sues William Hill

By Megan Murphy, Law Courts Correspondent

Published: February 20 2008 19:09 | Last updated: February 20 2008 19:09

A compulsive gambler on Wednesday took William Hill to court for allowing him to rack up millions in losses in a test case that could force bookmakers to police their own customers.

Graham Calvert, a 28-year-old greyhound trainer, claims he lost his wife, health and livelihood after William Hill continued to take "obscenely large'' wagers from him even after he had asked for his account to be closed.
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Call to expand group litigation - Feb-20
Foreign lawyer crackdown worries City - Feb-18
Case fails to answer 'pre-nup' question - Feb-13
Casino group in £7.4m court fight - Feb-13
McCartney case could alter legal landscape - Feb-08
Archbishop in Sharia law row - Feb-07

He is seeking to reclaim £2m in gambling losses incurred during a single six-month period, after a series of disastrous bets – including a £347,000 punt on the 2006 Ryder Cup – drove him to ruin.

The case centres on the extent to which bookmakers are obligated to protect problem gamblers from their own habit, and may set new industry guidelines on "socially responsible'' conduct, lawyers said.

Mr Calvert, who ran a successful greyhound training business, told the High Court that prior to 2005 he was a successful gambler, winning about £50,000 per year on greyhound wagers.

It was only when he began placing bets outside his field of expertise that he ran into trouble and began losing huge sums through increasingly "frenzied'' activity, he said.

As his debts mounted in the summer of 2006, the former trainer asked William Hill to freeze his account under the company's so-called self-exclusion policy.

Under the procedure – designed to monitor and address gambling addiction – Mr Calvert's account was closed for six months, and he was barred from placing telephone bets with William Hill.

However, unable to tackle his addiction, Mr Calvert instead turned to placing large cash bets at William Hill shops, wagering more than £500,000 between July and December 2006.

He also claims he was allowed to open a new telephone betting account with the bookmaker by using a different credit card, despite the fact that he had been barred by several rival betting chains.

During that period, Mr Calvert lost about £2.1m.

Mr Calvert's lawyer, Anneliese Day, accused William Hill of trying to squeeze as much profit as possible from a known problem gambler.

"What in fact occurred was that William Hill actively monitored and manipulated the claimant's gambling disorder in order to gain as much revenue for their business,'' Ms Day told the High Court.

William Hill denies wrongdoing and says that it is not legally responsible for Mr Calvert's losses, given that he was an adult participating in a lawful activity.

The former greyhound trainer is awaiting trial on unrelated firearms and drugs charges at Newcastle Crown Court.

The trial continues.

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

In this country, a Pub or Tavern cannot continue to serve a person that they know has reached the \"problem\" stage, due to foreseeable harm that may result. Depending upon the proofs of William Hill\'s knowledge, I\'m not so sure it\'s as big a stretch as it may first appear.

I\'m thinking the gamblers lawyer, Anneliese Day, could have some right smart work Stateside if she\'d apply her creative representation to those lured into the \"Handicapping Contests\" that occur in this country. Here Casinos and Racing Entity\'s lure the unsuspecting public in with the promise of a pot o\' gold at the end of the rainbow. The entry fee is usually de minimis and the wagers are with monopoly money so no harm is done in the near term. In the end, one lucky person walks off with the pot. (The Pot Recipient never Repeats) and thousands of non winners are motivated to \"perfect\" their method using real money and losing real money in the hope of winning the ethereal Pot O\' Gold in coming crafted gatherings. It\'s a gig designed to encourage gambling. Even the rules encourage gambling and what is left in the wake of these contests is flotsam and jetsam.

D. Farragut

Boscar Obarra Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My only comment.....I\'m waiting for the day one of
> our trainers admits to making $75,000 a year at
> the windows.
>
>
> Compulsive gambler sues William Hill
>
> By Megan Murphy, Law Courts Correspondent
>
> Published: February 20 2008 19:09 | Last updated:
> February 20 2008 19:09
>
> A compulsive gambler on Wednesday took William
> Hill to court for allowing him to rack up millions
> in losses in a test case that could force
> bookmakers to police their own customers.
>
> Graham Calvert, a 28-year-old greyhound trainer,
> claims he lost his wife, health and livelihood
> after William Hill continued to take "obscenely
> large'' wagers from him even after he had asked
> for his account to be closed.
> EDITOR'S CHOICE
> Call to expand group litigation - Feb-20
> Foreign lawyer crackdown worries City - Feb-18
> Case fails to answer 'pre-nup' question - Feb-13
> Casino group in £7.4m court fight - Feb-13
> McCartney case could alter legal landscape -
> Feb-08
> Archbishop in Sharia law row - Feb-07
>
> He is seeking to reclaim £2m in gambling losses
> incurred during a single six-month period, after a
> series of disastrous bets – including a £347,000
> punt on the 2006 Ryder Cup – drove him to ruin.
>
> The case centres on the extent to which bookmakers
> are obligated to protect problem gamblers from
> their own habit, and may set new industry
> guidelines on "socially responsible'' conduct,
> lawyers said.
>
> Mr Calvert, who ran a successful greyhound
> training business, told the High Court that prior
> to 2005 he was a successful gambler, winning about
> £50,000 per year on greyhound wagers.
>
> It was only when he began placing bets outside his
> field of expertise that he ran into trouble and
> began losing huge sums through increasingly
> "frenzied'' activity, he said.
>
> As his debts mounted in the summer of 2006, the
> former trainer asked William Hill to freeze his
> account under the company's so-called
> self-exclusion policy.
>
> Under the procedure – designed to monitor and
> address gambling addiction – Mr Calvert's account
> was closed for six months, and he was barred from
> placing telephone bets with William Hill.
>
> However, unable to tackle his addiction, Mr
> Calvert instead turned to placing large cash bets
> at William Hill shops, wagering more than £500,000
> between July and December 2006.
>
> He also claims he was allowed to open a new
> telephone betting account with the bookmaker by
> using a different credit card, despite the fact
> that he had been barred by several rival betting
> chains.
>
> During that period, Mr Calvert lost about £2.1m.
>
> Mr Calvert's lawyer, Anneliese Day, accused
> William Hill of trying to squeeze as much profit
> as possible from a known problem gambler.
>
> "What in fact occurred was that William Hill
> actively monitored and manipulated the claimant's
> gambling disorder in order to gain as much revenue
> for their business,'' Ms Day told the High Court.
>
> William Hill denies wrongdoing and says that it is
> not legally responsible for Mr Calvert's losses,
> given that he was an adult participating in a
> lawful activity.
>
> The former greyhound trainer is awaiting trial on
> unrelated firearms and drugs charges at Newcastle
> Crown Court.
>
> The trial continues.

[Sandreadis]

What is a guy with 4 million dollars doing training greyhounds? Why isn\'t he drinking Bordeaux\'s in the South of France?
He bet $700,000 on the US to win the Ryder Cup. I will be in Louisville for this years Ryder Cup and  will be betting the underdog Euros. It\'s been a good bet 4 of the last 5 years.

[SoCalMan2]

I seem to recall Leonard Tose suing some AC casinos saying they plied him with free liquour and attractive waitresses and it drove him to lose everything....including the Philadelphia Eagles, his father\'s trucking line, and other things.  What I do not recall is the outcome of the suit (and it may have ended with the plaintiff\'s death prior to judgment, although perhaps the estate could have continued the action).


Chuckles_the_Clown2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In this country, a Pub or Tavern cannot continue
> to serve a person that they know has reached the
> \"problem\" stage, due to foreseeable harm that may
> result. Depending upon the proofs of William
> Hill\'s knowledge, I\'m not so sure it\'s as big a
> stretch as it may first appear.
>
> I\'m thinking the gamblers lawyer, Anneliese Day,
> could have some right smart work Stateside if
> she\'d apply her creative representation to those
> lured into the \"Handicapping Contests\" that occur
> in this country. Here Casinos and Racing Entity\'s
> lure the unsuspecting public in with the promise
> of a pot o\' gold at the end of the rainbow. The
> entry fee is usually de minimis and the wagers are
> with monopoly money so no harm is done in the near
> term. In the end, one lucky person walks off with
> the pot. (The Pot Recipient never Repeats) and
> thousands of non winners are motivated to
> \"perfect\" their method using real money and losing
> real money in the hope of winning the ethereal Pot
> O\' Gold in coming crafted gatherings. It\'s a gig
> designed to encourage gambling. Even the rules
> encourage gambling and what is left in the wake of
> these contests is flotsam and jetsam.
>
> D. Farragut
>
> Boscar Obarra Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > My only comment.....I\'m waiting for the day one
> of
> > our trainers admits to making $75,000 a year at
> > the windows.
> >
> >
> > Compulsive gambler sues William Hill
> >
> > By Megan Murphy, Law Courts Correspondent
> >
> > Published: February 20 2008 19:09 | Last
> updated:
> > February 20 2008 19:09
> >
> > A compulsive gambler on Wednesday took William
> > Hill to court for allowing him to rack up
> millions
> > in losses in a test case that could force
> > bookmakers to police their own customers.
> >
> > Graham Calvert, a 28-year-old greyhound
> trainer,
> > claims he lost his wife, health and livelihood
> > after William Hill continued to take "obscenely
> > large'' wagers from him even after he had asked
> > for his account to be closed.
> > EDITOR'S CHOICE
> > Call to expand group litigation - Feb-20
> > Foreign lawyer crackdown worries City - Feb-18
> > Case fails to answer 'pre-nup' question -
> Feb-13
> > Casino group in £7.4m court fight - Feb-13
> > McCartney case could alter legal landscape -
> > Feb-08
> > Archbishop in Sharia law row - Feb-07
> >
> > He is seeking to reclaim £2m in gambling losses
> > incurred during a single six-month period, after
> a
> > series of disastrous bets – including a
> £347,000
> > punt on the 2006 Ryder Cup – drove him to ruin.
> >
> > The case centres on the extent to which
> bookmakers
> > are obligated to protect problem gamblers from
> > their own habit, and may set new industry
> > guidelines on "socially responsible'' conduct,
> > lawyers said.
> >
> > Mr Calvert, who ran a successful greyhound
> > training business, told the High Court that
> prior
> > to 2005 he was a successful gambler, winning
> about
> > £50,000 per year on greyhound wagers.
> >
> > It was only when he began placing bets outside
> his
> > field of expertise that he ran into trouble and
> > began losing huge sums through increasingly
> > "frenzied'' activity, he said.
> >
> > As his debts mounted in the summer of 2006, the
> > former trainer asked William Hill to freeze his
> > account under the company's so-called
> > self-exclusion policy.
> >
> > Under the procedure – designed to monitor and
> > address gambling addiction – Mr Calvert's
> account
> > was closed for six months, and he was barred
> from
> > placing telephone bets with William Hill.
> >
> > However, unable to tackle his addiction, Mr
> > Calvert instead turned to placing large cash
> bets
> > at William Hill shops, wagering more than
> £500,000
> > between July and December 2006.
> >
> > He also claims he was allowed to open a new
> > telephone betting account with the bookmaker by
> > using a different credit card, despite the fact
> > that he had been barred by several rival
> betting
> > chains.
> >
> > During that period, Mr Calvert lost about
> £2.1m.
> >
> > Mr Calvert's lawyer, Anneliese Day, accused
> > William Hill of trying to squeeze as much
> profit
> > as possible from a known problem gambler.
> >
> > "What in fact occurred was that William Hill
> > actively monitored and manipulated the
> claimant's
> > gambling disorder in order to gain as much
> revenue
> > for their business,'' Ms Day told the High
> Court.
> >
> > William Hill denies wrongdoing and says that it
> is
> > not legally responsible for Mr Calvert's
> losses,
> > given that he was an adult participating in a
> > lawful activity.
> >
> > The former greyhound trainer is awaiting trial
> on
> > unrelated firearms and drugs charges at
> Newcastle
> > Crown Court.
> >
> > The trial continues.

[SoCalMan2]

Maybe he views his churn the same way the IRS does?

[magicnight]

SoCal;

Wikipedia says he lost his suit in \'91 (\"There was testimony from a cocktail waitress swearing that her job description was \"to keep Mr. Tose\'s glass filled.\"); was evicted from his mansion in \'96 (\"losing the house in a U.S. Marshal\'s sale\"); spent his last years leaving alone in a hotel room and died - at 88 - in 2004.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Tose

[Bally Ache]

When a reporter told Norman Braman, the man Tose sold the Eagles to under duress, that Tose had said critical things about his handling of the Eagles, Braman replied, \"Why should I care about his opinion, the man has no furniture left in his house\".

[BenevolentDictator]

Chucky,
Would I be considered a bad person in your mind  if I use my tournament winnings to start start a travel business with the focus of taking my gambling degenerate Americans to France, Ireland and England, staying at the finest BB\'s Europe has to offer. I am thinking of a Hong Kong  stay, working with the locals about the particulars if you know what I mean. What better way to take advantage of taking other peoples money which I do when I bet against others at the track.
Cheers

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

I wouldn\'t consider that winnings from the Pari Mutual Pool make one a \"bad person\". In fact, I\'d say demonstrate your superiority by calling the Superfecta in this Sunday\'s \"Fountain of Youth\".

On the Leonard Tose front, I\'m not so sure his lawsuit wouldn\'t receive more favorable consideration today.



iBenevolentDictator Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chucky,
> Would I be considered a bad person in your mind
> if I use my tournament winnings to start start a
> travel business with the focus of taking my
> gambling degenerate Americans to France, Ireland
> and England, staying at the finest BB\'s Europe has
> to offer. I am thinking of a Hong Kong  stay,
> working with the locals about the particulars if
> you know what I mean. What better way to take
> advantage of taking other peoples money which I do
> when I bet against others at the track.
> Cheers

[Michael D.]

Chuckles_the_Clown2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wouldn\'t consider that winnings from the Pari
> Mutual Pool make one a \"bad person\". In fact, I\'d
> say demonstrate your superiority by calling the
> Superfecta in this Sunday\'s \"Fountain of Youth\".
>


just pick the winner in that one and you\'re doing ok.

before seeing any #\'s, I kind of like Monba.