An Aussie bettor has taken Sportsbet and BetEasy to court after losing almost $600,000 on their online platforms. The punter, Alexander Gassner, claims the betting operators knew he had a gambling problem but didn’t do anything to stop him from placing bets.
Gassner hopes the Federal Court would rule in his favour and help him recoup his losses. He is also asking for interest on the amounts lost and for his legal costs to be covered.
Bettor Claims Bookies Didn’t Contact Him
In the documents Gassner filed, he accused Sportsbet and BetEasy of being aware that he spent large sums of money from August 2015 to June 2021. He claimed the two sportsbooks didn’t contact him to inquire about what was happening. They also didn’t provide help despite the bettor spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in a six-year period.
Most of the money Gassner lost was on the BetEasy app ($485,000). When BetEasy merged with Sportsbet in 2020, he was advised to migrate to Sportsbet, which he did. Unfortunately, the punter didn’t get any luckier and went on to lose $121,000 through the Sportsbet platform.
Sportsbet decided not to comment on the matter as it was before the court. The bookie said it took responsible gambling seriously and it approached the issue in the same way.
Gassner and Sportsbet will meet in court for mediation on October 27. The dispute will come before the Federal Court on November 3.
