Unibet blocks players’ appeals
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13 Jan 2025 •
Reading time: 3 minutes From its headquarters in Malta, online gambling giant Unibet is at the heart of a major controversy in the Netherlands. Thousands of players are turning to the courts to recover their losses from years when the company operated illegally, but Unibet seems to be obstructing these procedures by refusing to provide crucial information.
A delicate legal battle
Before the legal opening of the online gambling market in the Netherlands in October 2021, Unibet was already attracting a large number of players. Today, the latter are seeking reimbursement of losses they consider illicit. According to Benzi Loonstein, a lawyer representing several thousand clients, these cases depend on access to transaction records, essential elements to prove the amounts lost.
“Until April 17, 2024, everything was going normally. But after that date, Unibet began to extend the deadlines. From 30 days provided for by law, we went to 90, then to 180 days. And even after this wait, the information is not provided.”
Benzi Loonstein
A systematic obstruction
Unibet justifies this situation by legal complexities. The company claims that the reorganization of its activities, including the sale to La Française des Jeux (FDJ) of its international division under the name Trannel, complicates access to the requested data. Trannel, holder of a Maltese license, would now be responsible for these files.
“They now claim that the information is not available because of a change in the company’s name,” denounces Loonstein, who speaks of pure and simple sabotage. However, according to European data protection regulations (GDPR), customers have the right to access this information.
A controversial defense
To justify its refusal, Unibet suggests that players consult their bank statements. A solution deemed impractical by Loonstein.
“Banks keep data for between five and eight years. Some of the cases I deal with date back to 2004. In addition, many payments were made via services like PayPal, without any explicit mention of Unibet. It’s as if a merchant were asking you to find your purchases on your bank statements instead of providing you with a copy of your receipt.”
Legal and political consequences
Faced with this situation, legal proceedings have been launched to force Unibet to disclose the necessary data. In a letter addressed to the Dutch parliament, Loonstein calls for stricter regulation of online gambling companies, even those operating legally. He proposes that licenses be revoked for companies intentionally violating consumer rights.
At the same time, he calls on football clubs sponsored by Unibet, including Ajax, AZ Alkmaar and FC Utrecht, to reassess their partnerships.
“These clubs need to ask themselves whether they want to associate their name with a company that does not respect the rights of its customers.”
Unibet, which has already paid out more than €2 million in similar cases, including a record €700,000 to a Hengelo player, risks seeing its reputation tarnished. The financial and legal stakes are immense, but it is above all the question of responsibility towards consumers that is at the heart of this case.