An Australian punter who is suing bookmaker BetEasy for nearly A$1.2 million in unpaid winnings told court that she did not herself open a betting account with the operator and that it was actually created by a Crown Resorts employee when she joined the casino operator’s Signature Club.
Renee Bell is seeking to receive the difference of A$1.44 million after landing a monster parlay in May 2018 of which BetEasy paid out just A$250,000.
Ms. Bell’s case received great media attention this past April, when it emerged that the punter was suing the sports betting operator in a bid to claim her winnings.
In May 2018, Ms. Bell placed A$500 worth of multi-bets on several horses that had a potential return of A$1,443,695.90 with BetEasy. The bookmaker operated as CrownBet at the time.
The punter successfully tipped a couple of horses to win their races around Australia. A A$100 five-leg all-up bet returned A$1,260,748.80, while four other A$100 bets returned a combined A$182,447.10. However, Ms. Bell eventually received A$250,000, which was only a fraction of what she had originally expected to be paid out.
BetEasy also returned Ms. Bell’s A$100 bet and canceled her other four bets, refunding her A$400.
Ms. Bell Says She Did Not Agree to T&Cs
Under BetEasy’s terms and conditions upon opening an account with the operator, “the maximum payout for a multi-bet for racing and sports or a combination of both is (A)$250,000.”
However, Ms. Bell said that she did not agree to the operator’s terms and conditions and that she never opened a betting account with BetEasy. The punter said in her lawsuit against the bookmaker that she did not know she had an account until she received an email three days after signing up to Crown Resorts’ Signature Club.
According to court documents, Ms. Bell “did not agree to CrownBet’s terms and conditions and such terms and conditions were not brought to her attention” when she joined the Crown Signature Club. In addition, “she did not agree to CrownBet’s terms and conditions and such terms and conditions were not brought to her attention” when she first logged into her CrownBet (BetEasy) account.
BetEasy said in its defense that by using its website to open an account or by placing bets, punters agree to the terms and conditions on its website. The Supreme Court has scheduled a directions hearings on the lawsuit for November 13.
BetEasy ceased to exist earlier this year when its parent company The Stars Group merged with rival Flutter Entertainment in one of the largest gambling M&A deals of 2020. Following the combination of the two gambling giants BetEasy merged with Flutter’s Australian brand, Sportsbet, as part of the enlarged group’s single-brand strategy for the Australian betting market.
BetEasy was formed in 2018 when The Stars Group purchased an 80% stake in the former CrownBet from local casino operator Crown Resorts. The online wagering operation was rebranded as BetEasy. Late in 2019, The Stars Group purchased the remaining 20% in the bookmaker from Crown Resorts to assume full control over the business.
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