Online Blackjack Player to Receive £1.7m Payout After 3 Years

Three years ago, Andy Green thought that he had become a millionaire through online blackjack. The Brit won £1.7 million ($2.3 million) by earning several bonus payouts.

However, Betfred, the casino where he was playing, declared that the win was attributed to a “software error.” Green has since spent three years in and out of court trying to claim the prize that he feels is rightfully his.

The odds didn’t look great for him when considering that many software glitch cases go in favor of the house. This time, though, the little guy won.

Green is finally set to receive his £1,722,923 payout—plus extra for court fees. You can read more about the details behind this case and why he won below.

How Did Green’s Big Win Happen?

Andy Green is a recreational gambler who plays online casino games as a hobby. On one fateful night in January 2018, he launched Frankie Dettori’s Magic Seven Blackjack at Betfred Casino.

Developed by Playtech, Frankie Dettori Magic Seven is based on a famous British-Italian horse jockey. It awards bonus payouts when players collect Trophies during blackjack hands.

Assuming one gets seven trophies within two consecutive rounds, they’ll win the top payout of 7,777:1. A £10 bet in this case would result in a £77,777 prize.

Green managed to go on a hot streak where he collected lots of trophies. He was able to net some of the 7,777:1 payouts along with lower bonus prizes, too. After logging off, he was £1.7 million richer…or so it seemed.

Green received congratulations from Betfred following the miracle session. The online gambling site continued reassuring him that he was indeed a newly minted millionaire.

Betfred Claims That the Win Is Due to Machine Malfunction

The big win inspired Green to celebrate over the next few days. He over-drafted his bank account by £2,500. Of course, this amount seemed inconsequential given that he was due to collect seven figures.

Green even opened other bank accounts under the assumption that he’d need to spread his massive winnings around to different banks. His euphoria was soon deflated, though, when Betfred contacted him and claimed that Playtech’s software malfunctioned during his session.

“Then after five days I got a phone call out of the blue,” Green said, “saying there had been a software glitch which caused the £1.7million payout and so they would not be paying me.”

Betfred proceeded to offer him a settlement worth £60,000 ($82,000). In exchange, he had to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Green turned the casino down. He has since embarked on a long legal journey to reclaim winnings that he seemingly won fair and square.

A survivor of four heart attacks, the 54-year-old thought that his life was turning around. He had planned to pay off his debts and even give his sister some of the money. Unfortunately, she never got to see Green finally claim the winnings as she passed away in 2019.

On to High Court

After a couple years of legal battles, Andy Green’s case went to London’s High Court. This time, he wasn’t just seeking the £1,722,923 in winnings. Green wanted a rounded sum of £2 million ($2.7 million) that accounted for interest on the payment and his legal fees.

Betfred’s terms and conditions were at the heart of this case. The casino’s lengthy terms aren’t entirely clear on what happens when a software developer’s games malfunction. Peter Coyle, one of Green’s lawyers, addressed this point when speaking to the media.

The casino, meanwhile, continued to assert that the game malfunctioned and they didn’t owe Green £1.7 million. If successful, Betfred stood to win the cost of their legal fees from Green.

Judge Awards the Case to Green

High Court Justice Alison Foster presided over the case. She took exception to how Betfred continually stated that Green was a “big winner” days after the blackjack session.

Additionally, Foster didn’t believe that Betfred’s terms and conditions adequately covered what would happen in the event of a malfunction. She referred to the terms as “not transparent or fair.” Foster ultimately ruled in favor of Green and awarded him the £2 million that he was seeking.

Green spoke to the press about how he’d suffered through “some very low times.” He was “happy and relieved” to win the case and planned to pop some champagne after finally earning his millionaire status.

Having won a big case, Coyle said that he was excited for his client. The lawyer added that the judgement would provide hope to those who think that “the big, rich guys always win.”

Betfred Issues Apology Following the Judgement

The Andy Green story isn’t exactly a PR success for Betfred. Following the ruling, the UK-based online casino reiterated that Playtech is at fault here.

“Mr. Green won the jackpot three times whilst playing a game provided by one of our third-party suppliers,” the statement read. “The supplier reported a software problem to us and advised that we should withhold payment.”

Despite their insistence that Playtech’s game malfunctioned, Betfred announced that they won’t appeal the decision. They also took the time to “apologize to Mr. Green for the delay in receiving his money.”

Was Betfred Right to Refuse Payment on the Blackjack Winnings?

Betfred was acting on Playtech’s advice when deciding not to pay Green. Playtech advised them that they shouldn’t make the payment due to the software glitch.

With that said, it’s not entirely crazy that they didn’t honor the £1.7 million win. The casino was likely hoping that one of two things would happen:

• The courts would rule that Green’s winnings should be wiped out due to the machine malfunction.
• Betfred shouldn’t be on the hook for the winnings because they aren’t responsible for developing the game.

As it turns out, Foster was more interested in Betfred’s terms and conditions. Most online casinos use lengthy and complex terms to explain bonuses, wins, restricted countries, and more.

Online gambling sites also include excerpts on what happens in the case of game malfunctions. It appears that Betfred’s terms weren’t adequate to cover themselves in the event of a software glitch.

Betfred is one of the UK’s largest bookmakers and gambling sites. It brings in over £700 million ($945 million) in annual revenue.

Perhaps the company would’ve been best served by merely awarding Green the payout despite the malfunction. They then could’ve gone after Playtech legally to recoup the losses.

Another option could’ve involved offering a larger settlement to Green, who might have then considered the non-disclosure deal. Instead, the casino didn’t offer quite enough to appease him and, as a result, are now dealing with negative publicity.

Things Are Looking Up for Green

Andy Green certainly hasn’t had an easy life in recent years. Aside from the four heart attacks, he’s undergone a total of 11 heart procedures. The single father also dealt with the passing of his sister a couple of years ago.

He spoke of, at times, wishing that he’d never won the money. After all, he dealt with quite a few headaches while battling Betfred in court. Green couldn’t even afford the £2,500 celebration after his big win got taken away.

Now, however, he’ll have no problem affording a party. Green will also be able to take care of any debts and live the good life.

Conclusion

For Andy Green, it probably feels like a lifetime ago that he won the £1.7 million payout. He won the type of money that few people ever win through real money blackjack.

Following years of courtroom battles and stress, the Lincolnshire native finally has his money. The payout is well deserved when considering everything that he’s been through since January 2018.

As for Betfred, the bookmaker and mobile gambling giant has some work to do in repairing its reputation. Betfred had a decent case on grounds that they didn’t ultimately develop the game that malfunctioned. On the other hand, their terms didn’t clearly explain what would happen in the event of a software glitch.