The Dutch Supreme Court has ruled that online gambling contracts signed before October 2021 remain legally binding. The decision blocks players from reclaiming funds wagered with unlicensed operators during the pre-regulation period.
Legal Framework and Court Decision
The judgment addresses disputes over agreements made under the 1964 Games of Chance Act, prior to the Remote Gambling Act taking effect. The court determined that the legislation provides no grounds to invalidate transactions conducted before the new regulatory framework launched. Consequently, wagers and casino sessions completed before the October 2021 cutoff are recognized as enforceable.The ruling resolves longstanding reimbursement disputes for several major operators that operated in the Dutch grey market. Affected brands include Entain’s Bwin, PartyCasino, and PartyPoker, alongside 888, now part of Evoke Plc, and Unibet, currently owned by FDJ United. In a separate April proceeding, the Rotterdam District Court ordered Betsson to refund over €500,000 to a player after the company failed to appear at the hearing.
Entain confirmed the outcome matches its legal stance, stating that the verdict "confirms the position we have consistently maintained, that gambling agreements entered into before 1 October 2021 are valid, and that historic losses cannot be recovered on the grounds of invalid contracts."
Similar reimbursement claims continue in Germany and Austria. A European Court of Justice opinion issued last September concluded that player-operator contracts were void under national contract law, though it did not assess whether German regulations comply with European Union standards.