Top EU court rules online gamblers can sue for compensation if betting illegal in home country
Key takeaways
- The ECJ has ruled that online gamblers can seek compensation if they lost money when gambling was illegal in their home country, even if the laws have since changed.
- The fact Germany's laws have since changed, meaning such gambling is now permitted, has no bearing on the case, the ECJ ruled.
- A German resident is seeking compensation in domestic courts for losses incurred on online slot machines and lottery prediction betting between June 2019 and July 2021, when such gambling was not legal in Germany.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The ECJ has ruled that online gamblers can seek compensation if they lost money when gambling was illegal in their home country, even if the laws have since changed. This could pave the way for others to reclaim losses.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CH9CMany forms of online gambling were illegal in Germany until July 2021, when the laws were relaxed Image: Sina Schuldt/dpa/picture alliance Advertisement Users of online gambling services within the EU can sue the betting operator for reimbursement of their losses if such gambling was prohibited in their home country when they placed the bets, the Court of Justice of the European Union (better known by the acronym ECJ) ruled on Thursday.
Its rulings on this and another question — that member states are within their rights to outlaw or restrict such gambling individually, even though EU law permits it — paves the way for a German citizen seeking reimbursement for losses incurred when such gambling was illegal in their home country.