Gardener wins ?1 million jackpot in court battle against Paddy Power

Jillian Dingwall

A recent High Court ruling has brought a significant victory for Corrine Durber, a gardener from Gloucestershire, who was initially denied her full ?1 million jackpot by Paddy Power, receiving only ?20,265 instead. The gambling company claimed that a computer error had incorrectly displayed the larger sum on her iPad while playing the “Wild Hatter” game in October 2020. However, Justice Ritchie has now ruled in her favour, granting her the full payout without a trial.

The court’s reasoning

Justice Ritchie’s ruling was clear: “When a trader puts all the risk on a consumer for its own recklessness, negligence, errors, inadequate digital services and inadequate testing, that appears onerous to me.” He emphasised that the principle of “what you see is what you get” should apply, much like in a physical 바카라, where players expect to be paid if they win based on what they see. He noted, “Objectively, customers would want and expect that what was to be shown to them on screen to be accurate and correct.” This ruling highlights the importance of transparency and fairness in online gambling.

Paddy Power, a central brand within Flutter’s UK & Ireland region, had argued that the game’s random number generator had only awarded Durber the smaller “Daily Jackpot,” and a display error had falsely shown a larger win. However, the court found that a human error in software mapping had caused the discrepancy, an error that led to a significant difference between the actual result and what was displayed on screen.

Paddy Power reviewing the judgment

For Corrine Durber, the money will be “life-changing” for her family. She expressed her relief and happiness, telling local media, “Obviously it will look after the children, from that we’ll pay their mortgages and we’re going to enjoy our retirement.” However, she also questioned why Paddy Power had not paid her immediately instead of forcing her into legal action.

In response, a spokesperson for Paddy Power said, “We always strive to provide the best customer experience possible and pride ourselves on fairness. We deeply regret this unfortunate case and are reviewing the judgment.”

What you see is what you get

The High Court’s decision in favour of Corrine Durber sets a significant precedent for the gambling industry, emphasising the importance of fair and transparent terms and conditions. Legal experts suggest that this ruling could encourage similar claims in the future, as players become more aware of their rights when technical errors occur.?For Durber, the victory is not just financial but also symbolic, as she plans to name a future racehorse “Wizziwig,” an acronym of WYSIWYG for “What You See Is What You Get,” highlighting her hard-won triumph.

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