Ian Woosnam celebrates retaining the Ryder Cup in 2006
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Compulsive gambler Graham Calvert who once bet £347,000 on the US to win the 2006 Ryder Cup against Europe in Ireland, is taking bookmakers William Hill to the High Court next week.
The Americans lost 18.5 - 9.5, equalling their biggest ever defeat at the hands of the cream of the European Tour at the K Club and Mr Calvert, a greyhound trainer from Tyneside, claims William Hill should never have accepted his bets.
He is suing them for £2 million in losses he chalked up after allegedly asking to be prevented from betting. He claims that the bookmaker 'failed in its duty of care' by allowing him to continue betting despite his requests to be excluded.
The 28-year-old allegedly gambled more than £7.5 million on golf, football and horse racing in 18-months from August 2005.
His bet on the outcome of the 32-match series in which the European golfers successfully defended their title, was the biggest bet in golf history at the time. But he claims that his problem was spiralling out of control and they accepted his bets despite telephoning William Hill in June 2006 to ask them to close his account.
He offered, he claims, "self-exclusion" whereby the bookmaker agrees not to accept any bets from a customer for a set period. However, he alleges William Hill allowed him to set up a new account and start gambling again.
He has since placed more than £3.5 million of bets, losing more than £2 million and is now attempting to make legal history by getting a judge to rule that William Hill was negligent in allowing him to continue betting.
"If I'd known I had the problem and didn't do anything about it, I would see myself as being 100 per cent responsible," Mr Calvert told the BBC. He is now £1.5 million in debt and his marriage has folded.
" I did try to go through the right procedures and I was let down," he added.
William Hill denies they should be held legally responsible and contests the allegations, arguing that customers place bets of their own choice.
Tell us on the forum what bets you've had on golf, whether down the bookies or just among your pal in a Sunday morning fourball. ED
