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Court Sides with BetCity in Case Involving Employee Said to Have Defrauded the Casino
While the defense tried to pin it on the operator’s lack of sufficient oversight, judges remained unconvinced, saying that the employee intentionally circumvented the fraud detection system
A court in the Netherlands has ruled that a BetCity employee and player who collaborated to defraud the operator must repay significant damages. This comes after officials understood that the employee actively helped the player win.
BetCity Employee Issued Thousands of Euros in Betting Credits to Players
The situation arose when a player of the BetCity brand teamed up with an employee of its operator, the Entain-owned BetEnt. While issuing betting credits to players is nothing new, this duo abused the system to provide the players with an unusual amount of credits, making it easier for them to win.
Per BetCity’s usual rules, customer support staff members can issue betting credits of up to $232 to players experiencing certain issues. However, this case saw the employee in question issue a staggering total of $575K in free bets to four player accounts.
After playing through the free bets, the players won back $410K, bringing their total winnings to $465K.
Plaintiffs asserted that the employee and one of the players were in cahoots to defraud the casino by abusing the free credits system. As a result, this player was named as a defendant.
Court Determined the Employee’s Actions Were Deliberate
After examining the case, the District Court of Amsterdam ruled in favor of BetCity, saying that the case represented a clear breach of contract on the employee’s side. While the defense tried to pin it on the operator’s lack of sufficient oversight, judges remained unconvinced, saying that the employee intentionally circumvented the fraud detection system. They concluded that this was a deliberate fraud that dismissed any potential employer negligence claims.
As a result, the employee who issued the credits must now repay several sums. These include $96K and $69.5K payments tied to some of the winnings, as well as a shared liability of $85K with the player who was named in the case.
In addition to that, the defendants will have to pay the legal costs associated with the case.
Although Fiona doesn't have a long-spanning background within the gambling industry, she is an incredibly skilled journalist who has built a strong interest in the constantly growing iGaming network. The team at Gambling News is glad to have her on our roster to help deliver the best stories as soon as they hit. Aside from writing, she loves to dabble in online casino games such as slots and roulette, both for her own enjoyment and also as research to better improve her understanding of the industry.