The betting firm Betano may be required to pay back a punter as the Federal Court of Justice in Germany is set to deliver its final pronouncement on a gambling-related case. Initial legal opinion imply that the Kaizen Brand, to which Betano belongs, could potentially lose this case.
This litigation was initiated in 2018, following a player’s loss of EUR 12,000 on Betano betting. The issue at the heart of this dispute is that the company did not have the requisite operational license in Germany when these events occurred, thus sparking a protracted legal battle.
One year prior, the Higher Regional Court in Dresden ruled in favour of the player. Nevertheless, Betkick Sportwettenservice, a Kaizen offshoot responsible for managing the Betano Brand within the region, filed an appeal. The company asserted that they submitted an application for a license in 2012 and placed the blame on the country’s sluggish roll-out of a suitable licensing structure.
It’s important to note that although the German government had begun regulating the industry, it did not begin to issue licenses until 2020.
This Case Might Encourage Other Players to Demand Refunds
As suggested by the Federal Court of Justice’s preliminary legal opinion, Betano’s offering did not accord with the gambling regulation within Germany. The court also highlighted the company’s contravention of the EUR 1,000 betting limit stipulated under local regulations.
This provisional opinion therefore lends credence to the idea that the courts look set to back the player. This ruling may provoke a spate of similar complaints. Moreover, it is noteworthy that German authorities have had to address player reimbursement cases in the past, with some dating back to 2012.
At any rate, we are still awaiting the Federal Court’s official verdict. The next hearing has been scheduled for May 2.
If the court does sympathise with the Betano player, the betting firm could be entangled in further controversies, especially as it has been named the first-ever gambling sponsor of the UEFA EURO 2024 championship. This sponsorship deal has already ignited the ire of anti-gambling campaigners, who argue that it could potentially endanger more susceptible players.
On a closing note, Betano has recently aligned itself with BVGroup (previously BetVictor), as part of its strategy to penetrate into the UK’s prosperous betting sector.
