Grandfather Sues Bingoal after Underage Grandson Gambles €162,000

A Dutch minor has gambled away hundreds of thousands of Euros, prompting a lawsuit against the operator that allowed this to happen. The company in question is Bingoal, which reportedly never intervened as the teenager lost much of his grandfather’s money.

The total sum the young player (aged 17) lost reached a whopping €500,000, although only €162,000 was wagered with Bingoal. In addition to that operator, the youth played with 17 more gambling companies. He initially spent €17,500 but later boosted the limit, allowing himself to spend €30,000 a week.

Reports say that the teenager accessed his grandfather’s account through his father, who was responsible for it. The cunning youth also sent a photocopy of his father’s passport to Bingoal, thus “proving” his identity.

The young player proceeded to lose huge sums of money, while Bingoal never intervened or flagged the suspicious activity.

The Grandfather Wants His Money Back

The young gambler’s grandfather is now suing Bingoal. According to him, this money would not have been lost if Bingoal had followed the Netherlands’ safer gambling protocols.

 This was echoed in the words of his lawyer, who highlighted serious failings in Bingoal’s social responsibility measures. He noted that gambling companies should suspend players’ accounts if there is suspicion that the player is at high risk of harm.

According to the plaintiff’s lawyer, Bingoal should have tried to contact the player and advised them to halt his excessive spending. The issue should have also been reported to the Kansspelautoriteit, the Dutch gambling regulator.

The lawsuit alleges that the losses are Bingoal’s fault and therefore, the grandfather is demanding his money back.

The KSA Continues Its Efforts to Safeguard the Market

Speaking of the Kansspelautoriteit, the authority recently highlighted its 2024 supervisory objectives, in line with its 2020-2024 plan for the gambling sector. These include customer protection, addiction prevention and efforts against illegal gambling and criminal activities within the sector.

In February, the KSA learned that 14 affiliate websites channeled players toward unlicensed gambling websites. Following two investigations into the matter, the regulator contacted these affiliates, asking them to cease the promotion of illegal gambling. Five of those websites complied, while another five were still being investigated at the time of the announcement.

In January, the KSA reprimanded an operator over an untargeted TV sponsorship segment.