Rotterdam court orders Betsson to repay customer €530,000
The Rotterdam District Court has mandated that Betsson repay over €500,000 (£429,630/$568,483) to a customer following a ruling that deemed the player’s losses incurred while gambling on unlicensed websites to be recoverable.
The customer, identified only as “Eric” in the court documents, initiated legal action against BML Group Limited and Corona Limited concerning funds lost while engaging with their online gambling platforms.
This case can be traced back to 2014, when Eric made his first deposit. Notably, online gambling was illegal in the Netherlands at that time; however, the plaintiff successfully accessed multiple casinos operated by BML and Corona, including reputable platforms such as Betsson, Kroon Casino, and Oranje Casino.
In total, the plaintiff reported a cumulative deposit of €385,378 due to gambling with these unlicensed websites. The central issue at hand was whether these funds should be refunded, given that the gambling activity was not conducted legally.
Court Rules Gambling Agreement with Betsson is ‘Null and Void’
The Rotterdam District Court examined the case during a session last week. In light of Betsson’s absence from the proceedings, the court issued a default judgment favoring the customer.
The court’s primary ruling concluded that the gambling agreements between the plaintiff and the online casino operators were null and void, predicated on the illegitimacy of the sites operating within the Netherlands. Consequently, the court found Betsson liable for the repayment of the €385,378 that Eric deposited.
In addition to the principal amount, the court determined that Betsson is responsible for accruing interest from the date of the initial deposit in 2014. According to the legal team Dynamiet Nederland, this interest has accumulated to approximately €144,622.
As a result, the total compensation owed to the player crescendos to nearly €530,000, with the inclusion of €5,751 in legal expenses.
“This ruling clarifies that affected players can not only reclaim their losses but are also entitled to interest on those losses,” remarked Deepak Thakoerdien, founder of Dynamiet Nederland, as reported by Casino Nieuws. “When compounded annually, this interest compensation can be substantial, as demonstrated by this case.”
In response to inquiries from iGB, Betsson acknowledged that it is currently reviewing the court’s decision and considering its subsequent course of action.
Betsson Faces Additional Legal Setbacks
This latest ruling represents the second legal setback for Betsson in 2023 concerning unlicensed gambling operations in the Netherlands.
A separate court in Noord-Nederland recently ruled that Betsson had unlawfully provided online gambling services within the Netherlands and subsequently ordered the company to repay €119,634, alongside statutory interest.
As of now, Betsson continues to operate without a valid licence in the Netherlands. Although the company submitted an application for licensing, it opted to retract this in July 2023, citing prolongations within the approval process.
Fortunately for Betsson, prospects of entering the regulated Dutch market may soon materialize. The company announced its plans to acquire licensed Dutch online casino Goldrun in February 2024; however, this acquisition awaits confirmation from the regulatory body, Kansspelautoriteit.
