Betfair wins judicial review

6May 2013

Betfair

In the UK, betting exchange and online casino operator Betfair has announced that the nation’s Court of Appeal has unanimously found in its favour regarding a judicial review instigated by rival William Hill over an earlier High Court of Justice ruling.

William Hill had instigated the original action in September of 2011 in hopes of making customers of Betfair and other betting exchange operators subject to payment of the Horserace Betting Levy, which ran counter to an earlier consultation undertaken by the Horserace Betting Levy Board.

Betfair subsequently won this case, which was something Martin Cruddace, Corporate and Legal Affairs Director for the London-based operator, referred to at the time as a ‘poorly advised legal challenge’, in the High Court of Justice last summer before William Hill appealed.

“We are very pleased that our arguments have, yet again, prevailed in a unanimous verdict of the Court of Appeal and that winning customers, uniquely welcome at Betfair, now have this clarity,” said Cruddace.

For its part, William Hill has decided not to seek leave to appeal this latest decision and will now be required to pay half of Betfair’s legal costs in defending the initial decision along with 25 percent of the expenses associated with the original hearing.

“It is obviously sensible that William Hill have decided not to seek leave to appeal,” said Cruddace.

“It remains unfortunate that the seven-figure costs incurred by the Horserace Betting Levy Board in defending William Hill’s litigation have had a direct and significant impact on prize money. William Hill Online remains by far Great Britain’s largest non-levy-paying bookmaker.”