Gardener Fights Paddy Power in Court After £1M Jackpot Denial.
A Gloucestershire gardener is taking legal action against Paddy Power after claiming her £1 million jackpot was unfairly withheld, despite winning the "monster jackpot" on one spin of the "Wild Hatter" online slot game in October 2020.
Corrinne Durber, a keen golfer, thought she had struck it rich when she spun the jackpot wheel during a session on Paddy Power's Alice in Wonderland-themed slot game. The jackpot indicated a win of £1,097,132.71, but to her surprise, her account was only credited with £20,265.14. Paddy Power explained that a “mismatch” had occurred between the result shown on her screen and the outcome determined by the company’s central computer.
Durber, who is suing the company at London’s High Court, believes the refusal to pay out the full amount breaches the game's own rules. “The rules here say what you see is what you get,” said Durber’s lawyer, Mark Baldock. However, Paddy Power argues that the on-screen display is nothing more than "wallpaper" and does not influence the final outcome, which is determined by a hidden random number generator (RNG).
Corrinne Durber, a gardener from Gloucestershire, was informed she had hit the ‘monster jackpot’ of £1,097,132.71
The dispute centers around the terms and conditions of the online game, which Paddy Power claims absolves them from liability in the event of system or communication errors. Durber’s legal team argues that these terms were not adequately communicated and are unenforceable, particularly under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Baldock described the 45-page rulebook as “murky,” noting that it was unclear and inconsistent, especially since players are invited to spin the jackpot wheel, only to be told that the result was determined before the spin.
Durber's barrister further claimed that this case represented a “fundamental inconsistency,” arguing that the game’s rules should prevail over the hidden software-generated results. “Somebody incorrectly mapped the software to the pot,” Baldock argued. “That’s not a system or computer error, it’s a human error.”
The court heard that Durber’s win occurred during the Covid pandemic, when the UK was under a three-tier system of restrictions. Paddy Power’s legal team, led by Philip Hinks, emphasized that the animations seen on-screen, including the jackpot wheel, were purely for entertainment and did not reflect the actual outcome. According to Hinks, the RNG software decides the result as soon as the player clicks the spin button. He pointed out that, despite the arrow indicating a "Monster Jackpot," another animation displayed the lower £20,265.14 sum.
Hinks maintained that Durber had agreed to be bound by the terms and conditions when she opened her account and that the £20,265.14 payout was, in fact, the Daily Jackpot prize, not the "Monster Jackpot."
The judge, while acknowledging the complexity of the case, seemed to question Paddy Power’s reliance on the RNG system. "Customers expect what you see is what you get," the judge remarked. "How would you like to win a million quid, then have it taken away? It's a matter of fairness and logic."
Durber’s legal team has asked the judge to strike out Paddy Power’s defense and grant a summary judgment in her favor. The case revolves around whether the gaming company’s terms and conditions, and their interpretation of the jackpot result, should be upheld. A decision is expected at a later date.
Paddy Power, an Irish gambling giant, has long been a leader in online gaming. Founded in 1988, the company merged with Betfair in 2016, and its official headquarters is now in Malta.
