Germany’s Federal Court of Justice Might Require Betano to Reimburse a Player

Gambling operator Betano might be forced to reimburse a player as Germany’s Federal Court of Justice prepares to announce its final ruling on a gambling case. The court’s preliminary legal opinion, suggests that the Kaizen Brand might lose the case.

For reference, the lawsuit was launched in 2018 when a player lost EUR 12,000 on Betano wagers. The problem is that the brand didn’t hold an official license in Germany at the time, prompting a lengthy lawsuit.

A year ago, Dresden’s Higher Regional Court also ruled in favor of the player. However, Betkick Sportwettenservice, a Kaizen subsidiary responsible for the Betano Brand in the region, appealed the decision. The operator pointed out that it had applied for a license in 2012 and blamed the country’s slow implementation of a proper licensing framework.

For reference, while Germany had started the regulation of its market, it didn’t issue licenses before 2020.

The Case Might Inspire More Players to Seek Reimbursement

According to the Federal Court of Justice’s preliminary legal opinion, Betano’s products didn’t comply with Germany’s gambling laws. The court also noted that the company did not sport the EUR 1,000 betting limit outlined in the local regulations.

The preliminary opinion therefore seems to imply that the court is going to side with the player, despite concerns that such a ruling might trigger a wave of similar cases. It is worth mentioning that this is not the first time German authorities have had to deal with player reimbursement cases either, with some such cases stemming from 2012.

In any case, the Federal Court is yet to announce its official ruling. The next hearing is set to take place on May 2.

If the court really rules in favor of the Betano player, the gambling company may face additional controversies just as it was selected as the first-ever gambling sponsor of the UEFA EURO 2024 championship. The gambling sponsorship itself attracted the animosity of anti-gambling activists, who argued that the tie-up would expose more vulnerable players to harm.  

Speaking of Betano, the company just formed an alliance with BVGroup (formerly BetVictor) to make a foray into the UK’s lucrative betting market.