Lee Gibson is pursuing an appeal against the rejection of his claim against Betfair, with three judges hearing the case in London this week. Gibson says Betfair should have intervened over his gambling; Betfair denies knowing he had a gambling problem and says he told the company he could afford his losses.
The appeal tests Betfair’s responsibility towards a customer it treated as a VIP.
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The High Court in London began a trial on 4 June over whether Betfair owed a duty of care to Luke Ashton, who died by suicide in April 2021. His widow alleges Betfair’s betting incentives contributed to his death; the operator denies liability and argues that Ashton did not disclose his gambling problem. The trial is continuing.
Ireland’s Social Democrats proposed raising the betting tax from 2% to 5% to fund sports and cultural initiatives in disadvantaged areas. Deputy Aidan Farrelly said the change could raise more than €165 million annually; the Irish Bookmakers Association and Flutter Entertainment warned of potential effects on local bookmakers, jobs and investment.
Ireland’s Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland began operating as the central regulator in early February after key provisions of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 commenced. The GRAI opened applications for betting licences on 9 February 2026 and said licensing would proceed in phases; business-to-business licensing will follow later.
Flutter said it began an investigation after unauthorised access to customer information at its Paddy Power and Betfair businesses. The exposed data included names, email addresses, address fragments, IP addresses and some account activity; the company said the incident was contained, passwords and usable card details were not taken, and affected customers and relevant authorities were informed.
Betfair is reportedly discussing its next steps in Italy with the regulator, while continuing to offer gambling services in the country. Sources cited by a sports-trading specialist say the company will not close its Italian site in 2026 and expects to decide on its future presence in the first months of 2027, probably by February.
Betfair is in contact with Italy's regulator about its next steps, company sources said, as it considers its future in the country. The operator continues to offer gambling services in Italy.