A West London gambler has taken Star Sports customer to court, saying it allowed him to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars despite knowing he had a gambling problem.

According to the Racing Post, Scott O’Brien claims that Star Sports was aware of his issues with gambling, having spent 10 months in rehab between 2002 and 2003 and had once attempted suicide.

From the article:

O'Brien is understood to have staked £419,252 over the counter during that time, suffering net losses of £48,859 from his bets. The period in question closed with the claimant staking £111,945 on March 30, for net losses of £53,820 on the day. O'Brien said those figures did not take into account the money he was staking and losing on betting terminals in the Star Sports shop, although the defence disputes whether he ever used the terminals.

Among the issues set to be examined by the claimant's counsel this week is whether Star Sports complied with the Social Responsibility Code Provisions (SRCP) to its applicable operating licence and, if not, whether the claimant sustained losses as a result.

On day one of the trial on Monday, O'Brien told the court how he had spent ten months in rehab for his problem gambling between 2002-03 and visited Gamblers Anonymous. He also said that his addiction had previously led him to attempt to take his own life.

O'Brien said he first confessed his gambling problem to Star Sports when he recognised a cashier as a parent from the same school his children attended. Worried she might tell his ex-partner, he said he revealed to cashier Gemma Mehmet that "he had a bit of a problem" and that he did not want his ex-partner to find out, fearing it could restrict him seeing his children if she knew he was gambling.

However, Chris Gillespie, barrister for the defence, disputed O'Brien's recollection of the conversation with Mehmet, telling him, "the real point is that you never told Gemma Mehmet about your gambling problem," and suggesting "this is all nonsense".
Read more here: https://www.racingpost.com/news/brit...-aoF121M5h8Hu/