A RINGWOOD law firm has reclaimed more than £100,000 of a gambler’s losses after winning a case against a high street bookmaker.

Ellis Jones Solicitors reclaimed 89 per cent of their client’s net losses from the bookmaker, which cannot be named as part of the settlement agreement.

Its specialist betting disputes team argued that the betting operator breached the Gambling Commission’s social responsibility code because it failed to protect their client as a vulnerable customer

The man, aged 32, lost just more than £134,000 playing casino games such as roulette, blackjack and a slot machine style game.

Ellis Jones Solicitors won the case without having to go to court. The firm recovered just over £100,000 for its client – its highest amount to date in a gambling case.

Solicitor Henrietta Dunkley said: “This was an outstanding result in a high value dispute with a major betting operator. Our client had shown very obvious signs of problem gambling for a considerable amount of time and was spending far beyond his means. He had lost well in excess of £100,000. We were able to persuasively argue that there had been clear failings by the betting operator.

“We were able to show that the firm had failed to protect him as a vulnerable customer and therefore breached a number of obligations set out within the Gambling Commission’s Social Responsibility Code. Ultimately we were able to negotiate and recover 89 per cent of our client’s net losses without having to pursue any court proceedings.”

It is a “landmark” case for the firm itself in the amount reclaimed.

Paul Kanolik, a partner in the firm’s betting disputes team, said: “This fantastic result is reflective of a much wider recognition by the Gambling Commission and other organisations that more protection is needed for gambling customers, particularly those that display obvious signs of problem gambling.

“There has recently been a serious push by the Gambling Commission to make gambling operators more socially responsible, and so gambling operators are waking up to the fact that these claims are being made and do have merit.”