Facebook Post Leads to Betrayal of Sports Betting Winner

Details of the Incident

A sports betting fan, David Gardiner, 65, from Kettering, England, won £1,300 (€1,526.16) by betting on snooker player Kyren Wilson to win the World Snooker Championship on May 6, 2024. However, when he went to claim his prize the next day, he was told that someone else had already cashed in his winning ticket at a different betting shop.

Wrongful Redemption of the Winning Ticket

Gardiner had placed a bet with odds of 12/1 on Kyren Wilson beating David Gilbert at the Snooker World Championship and won £1,300 (€1,526.16). He posted his winning ticket on Facebook under a World Snooker Tour (WST) post, only to find out later that it had been cashed out at another shop before he could claim it.

Uncovering the Betrayal

Shop employees confirmed that the ticket had been scanned and redeemed by someone else who had created a screenshot of Gardiner’s Facebook post to claim the prize fraudulently. Gardiner expressed his disappointment in falling victim to the scam and warned others not to make the same mistake.

Coral’s Response

Despite Gardiner’s plea for compassion, Coral refused to pay out the winning amount, placing the blame on him. The betting company advised customers to keep their tickets secure and not share them until the prize is safely collected.

Legal Actions Taken

Gardiner reported the incident to the police and was referred to Action Fraud, the UK’s fraud and cybercrime reporting center, where the case was registered. The search for the individual who cheated Gardiner out of his rightful winnings is ongoing.