Hi,
I've recently advised a friend of mine that he has a valid case and I'm writing here to find out whether I was correct or not. By the way, this is in the UK so I'm not sure to what extent the law differs.
Anyway, he's 19 now but before he was 18 he began gambling increasingly erratically with a highstreet bookmaker on sport over a period of sereral months. He says they never asked him for his age or any ID.
I told him that this was negligent and that they are liable for the damage caused. I studies law at college (A-level, 16-18 year school, pre-uni), and my thinking is that they owed him a duty of care, and that they breached that duty when they could've easily taken reasonable steps, as required by law, to prevent him from gambling. Also, the damage caused (financial and emotional, including his addiction) was reasonably forseeable and isn't too remote; I mean surely the law is in place to prevent exactly this from happening?
I personally feel that he is responsible for his own actions, but if there is room in law for my friend to get some money back then I'd rather that than big gambling corporations profiting in this way.
Thankyou... thoughts?
I've recently advised a friend of mine that he has a valid case and I'm writing here to find out whether I was correct or not. By the way, this is in the UK so I'm not sure to what extent the law differs.
Anyway, he's 19 now but before he was 18 he began gambling increasingly erratically with a highstreet bookmaker on sport over a period of sereral months. He says they never asked him for his age or any ID.
I told him that this was negligent and that they are liable for the damage caused. I studies law at college (A-level, 16-18 year school, pre-uni), and my thinking is that they owed him a duty of care, and that they breached that duty when they could've easily taken reasonable steps, as required by law, to prevent him from gambling. Also, the damage caused (financial and emotional, including his addiction) was reasonably forseeable and isn't too remote; I mean surely the law is in place to prevent exactly this from happening?
I personally feel that he is responsible for his own actions, but if there is room in law for my friend to get some money back then I'd rather that than big gambling corporations profiting in this way.
Thankyou... thoughts?
