Around a hundred Dutch (former) gamblers are demanding their money back from online casinos. According to their lawyers, these should never have been allowed to offer games of chance, as the market was still illegal until last year. 'These are often vulnerable and young people,' reports the Volkskrant. Amsterdam lawyer Mr Loonstein subpoenaed four gambling companies. On behalf of a hundred affiliated gamblers who lost a lot of money, he is demanding money back from the gambling companies because they were operating illegally in the Netherlands as well as breaching their duty of care. It is not known which gambling companies are involved.

Player lost 150.000 euro on illegal casino

In a front-page article in today's Volkskrant, the story of former player was told. He lost €150,000 in a year and a half with online gambling and, he said, spent 18 hours a day on it.

He reported to lawyer Benzi Loonstein of Loonstein Advocaten in Amsterdam. On behalf of Kees and a hundred other gamblers, Loonstein is now trying to get the lost money back from the online gambling companies. Despite the registration, their could simply continue gambling on legal gambling sites.

Protecting consumers

Lawyer Benzi Loonstein argues that online casinos breached their duty of care. Even before the legalisation of the market, it was 'an unwritten rule' that gambling providers had to protect their consumers, just as banks have to. 'Now that 24 gambling providers have a Dutch licence, they are legally obliged to intervene if they see a player exhibiting problematic playing behaviour.'

Online casinos may decide for themselves how they do this, but Loonstein says that does not mean the duty of care is non-committal.