Gambling-addict EuroMillions winner blew £164k is jailed for scamming his mates

2022-11-24

A bloke who was obsessed with gambling and wasted a £164,000 EuroMillions win has been slammed in jail after scamming his mates out of £34,000.

Reece Casey conned 25 people out of money after blagging that he had connections to luxury fashion company Flannels, which could see him get them a 40% discount on products.

The 31-year-old's scam ran via social media app Snapchat in June, 2021, Chronicle Live reports.

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His case was heard at Newcastle Crown Court this week, where the court heard about his life – which was mainly spent working off-shore – was “entrenched” with gambling.

In 2018, Casey won £54,000 from betting firm William Hill, before going on to pocket a £164,000 windfall a year later on the EuroMillions.

However, Casey "squandered" the huge winnings after developing an addiction, which then saw him take the decision to begin defrauding people.

And yesterday (November 23), Casey returned to the court be sentenced for fraud after pleading guilty to the single charge at a previous hearing.

Katie Spence, prosecuting, said “A friend of the defendant responded to the offer and ordered multiple items. He also ordered items for other friends and family.”

She confirmed that one person who had been defrauded had sent their money to Casey – totalling around £4,500.

Shockingly, the money she sent had come from her late-mother as part of her inheritance after she died.

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Another woman had hoped to buy items from her husband's birthday.

Kelly Sherif, defending, said Casey had shown “extreme remorse” but claims that he was unaware there were so many victims as he had only dealt with three personally.

She said: "In 2018, he won £58,000 from William Hill and in 2019 won £164,000 on the EuroMillions, and he squandered that money on betting.

“At that time, he realised his gambling addiction was extremely bad and he put several blocks in place to exclude himself from gambling."

Sentencing Casey, of Maughan Street, Dudley, West Midlands, Judge Stephen Earl jailed him for 12 months.

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