The bookmaker has settled a £20,000 dispute but the lack of an independent ruling means a lost chance to set a precedent
![Talking Horses: Ladbrokes payout means no ruling on cancelled bets](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/72c33b9a771e56048eec7e501ef9e092f494469a/0_28_4829_2897/master/4829.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=50dfec4df7d8320844eef4b1b260f0b4)
When someone gives up a large part of their free time to help punters involved in betting disputes with bookmakers, a £20,000 settlement which hits a backer’s bank account a few days before
Christmas should be cause for unalloyed celebration.
However, Paul Fairhead has mixed feelings about the latest five-figure payout he has helped to secure, more than two years after the dispute arose.