Two gambling giants ordered to reimburse Dutch players

The Dutch justice system has just dealt a new blow to gambling operators. In a series of decisions handed down on July 17, the court in The Hague ordered two companies, Green Feather Online Limited and Trannel International Limited, to reimburse large sums of money to former players.

On July 17, the District Court of The Hague ruled in four lawsuits brought by Dutch players against gambling companies. The players had filed these lawsuits, supported by lawyer Benzi Loonstein, to recover the sums of money lost while playing on the platforms of these companies, which were deemed illegal under Dutch law.

The amounts at stake are considerable. Trannel International Limited, the former parent company of Unibet in the Netherlands, must pay a total of €222,453 to three players, while Green Feather Online Limited, the owner of several online gaming sites, must reimburse €91,940 to one player.

Contradictory decisions

These decisions come in a complex legal context, marked by a certain ambiguity in Dutch legislation on online gambling. Indeed, the Dutch Gambling Act (Wet op de Kansspelen, or Wok) has long been interpreted in divergent ways by the courts.

Recently, the Court of Cassation was asked to rule on several key questions concerning the interpretation of this law. While awaiting its decision, the courts have issued contradictory judgments, some considering that the provisions of the Wok had lost their relevance in the face of the rise of online gaming, others on the contrary applying them strictly.

A victory for players, a setback for the industry

The Hague court ruled on these cases without waiting for the Court of Cassation to respond. In this case, the court opted for a strict interpretation of the law, ruling that the activities of the companies convicted were illegal and that the gaming contracts concluded with the players were therefore null and void.

This decision is a victory for the players who were wronged, but it is also a setback for the online gambling industry, which sees its room for maneuver reduced.

Reaction of the operators

Unibet, once again ordered to reimburse, said it was waiting for the Court of Cassation to decide, while stressing that the cases in question were separate from its legal offer in the Netherlands.

This case raises many questions for the future of the online gambling sector in the Netherlands and beyond. In Germany, several players feeling wronged by illegal casinos have also appealed to the courts to claim reimbursement of their losses. Faced with these lawsuits, the German Federal Court of Justice has appealed to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to decide. The ECJ’s ruling could have far-reaching consequences for the entire online gambling sector in Europe.