Bwin Ordered to Refund €130,000
An online sports bettor won a court judgment requiring Bwin to refund over €130,000 in gambling losses after the operator breached Germany’s monthly deposit limit, isa-guide.de reported.
The Landgericht Dresden issued the ruling on November 3, 2026, finding that Bwin (Deutschland) Limited failed to enforce statutory player protection rules.
The plaintiff placed bets through the bwin.de website between October 17, 2020, and February 10, 2024. During this nearly four-year period, the player accumulated losses exceeding €130,000, according to court documents cited by anwalt.de.
Breach of Monthly Deposit Limits
Under Germany’s State Treaty on Gambling, online gambling platforms must cap player deposits at €1,000 per month unless strict financial checks justify an increase. Bwin held a valid German license starting October 9, 2020, but the company allowed the plaintiff to place stakes that routinely bypassed the mandatory threshold, cllb.de reported.
Thomas Sittner, a lawyer at CLLB Rechtsanwälte representing the player, stated that holding a gaming license does not grant operators a free pass to ignore regulatory requirements.
“Das Urteil zeigt, dass Spieler nicht nur dann gute Aussichten haben, ihre Verluste aus Online-Glücksspielen zurückzuholen, wenn der Anbieter nicht über die in Deutschland erforderliche Lizenz verfügte, sondern auch dann, wenn sich die Anbieter nicht an die Vorgaben halten,” Sittner said, as reported by anwalt.de.
Bwin breached contractual duties under BGB
The Dresden court ruled that the plaintiff’s claim for damages arises directly under § 280 of the German Civil Code (BGB) for breach of contractual duties. The judges noted that Bwin failed to properly review the player’s economic circumstances before approving limit increases, relying instead on insufficient checks like a Schufa credit inquiry.
Although the player requested a limit higher than €1,000, the court emphasized that the operator bore the legal obligation to verify financial capacity and restrict deposits accordingly. Had Bwin fulfilled this duty, the plaintiff could not have lost more than the statutory monthly ceiling.
Why Bwin remains liable despite its license
Why was Bwin held liable despite holding a German license?
The Landgericht Dresden ruled that possessing a valid gaming concession does not exempt an operator from complying with statutory side agreements and player protection rules, such as enforcing the €1,000 monthly deposit cap.
What legal basis did the court use for the refund?
The court based the damages on § 280 BGB, concluding that Bwin breached its contractual duties by permitting stakes above the limit without properly verifying the player’s financial standing.
How much money must Bwin repay?
Bwin must reimburse the vast majority of the player’s net losses, which totaled over €130,000 accumulated between October 2020 and February 2024, according to cllb.de.
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