Around 100 Dutch gamblers and former gamblers are demanding online casinos refund money that they lost before online gambling was legal in the Netherlands, the Volkskrant reported on Monday.

Online gambling was legalised in the Netherlands last October.

Those involved in the court case were often ‘young and vulnerable people,’ lawyer Benzi Loonstein told the paper. Some of them build up huge debts, losing their home, job and relationships.

Loonstein alleges that online casinos stimulated his clients to gamble by offering them bonuses or other benefits during the period that they operated illegally in the Netherlands.

Similar cases in Germany and Austria have resulted in considerable payouts to gamblers and last month the high court in Cologne ordered Pokerstars to refund €58,000 to one player because it was operating without a licence at the time.

In total, 24 companies have now been licenced to operate in the Netherlands.