DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

31 May 2025
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Education
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
    • Team
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Contact us
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

Court orders gambling firms to pay back “illegal” punters

November 3, 2023
Photo: Depositphotos

Online gambling company Unibet and another unnamed company have been ordered to pay back large sums of money to gamblers who used the sites before online betting was legalized in the Netherlands.

A group of gamblers who had lost large sums of money on the websites before October 2021, when online gambling was licenced in the Netherlands, had gone to court to recover the cash. 

Judges have now ruled that at least two firms must pay back money. Unibet has been told to pay one gambler €93,000 and in a separate case, the unnamed company has been told to pay back €124,000.


The two websites had failed to heed a summons to appear in court and did not mount any defence. 

Unibet said in a written reaction that it would appeal against the ruling, which means the case will be heard in detail at a later date. 

Lawyer Benzi Loonstein told Nieuwsuur in August that the case is simple. “If a company is operating in contravention of the law, it has no right to the money it earned,” he said. 

Hundreds of similar cases have been successfully fought in Germany and Austria. 

Unibet is based on Malta where some 10% of the economy is dependent on gambling. Malta recently passed legislation that would allow gambling companies to set aside claims made by gamblers in other countries for cash refunds. 

Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Business Gambling
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
Amsterdam "too arrogant" to be most popular city: survey
John Heitinga returns to Ajax as coach, Marcel Keizer to assist
Two-thirds of Dutch businesses face staff shortages
Artist Bas Kosters on the serious business of creating joy
Warm end to May, slightly cooler start to meteorological summer
NewsHomeEconomyArt and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
About usTeamDonateAdvertiseWriting for Dutch NewsContact usPrivacyNewsletter
© 2025 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you information about coronavirus in the Netherlands.

Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days!

We could not provide this service without you. If you have not yet made a contribution, you can do so here.

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now