UK court dismisses claim against gambling firm by family of man who died by suicide
FLUT•London's High Court dismissed a lawsuit against Betfair brought by the family of Luke Ashton, who died by suicide in 2021. The judge ruled that the gambling company did not owe him the duty of care proposed by the family.
1. Court rejects claim
The High Court dismissed the negligence lawsuit brought by Luke Ashton's family against TSE Malta, the holding company for Flutter, which owns Betfair. Judge Jonathan Swift ruled that the proposed duty of care did not arise, citing insufficient evidence that Ashton had a gambling disorder.
2. Family and company arguments
The family alleged that Betfair encouraged Ashton to gamble and that its product design, inducements and free bets worsened a gambling disorder, contributing to his death. Betfair denied the claims and argued that operators had no general duty to protect problem gamblers from the consequences of their actions.
3. Industry backdrop
The case comes as Britain's gambling industry faces calls for higher taxes and tighter regulation. Finance minister John Healey announced an increase in Machine Games Duty in last month's annual budget, and gambling companies have warned that higher taxes could lead to job losses.
