A German regional court has ruled that PokerStars must reimburse a player for losses incurred while betting on their site. The case occurred over a period of 6 years, during which the player deposited around $58,000.
PokerStars took bets before online gambling legalization
In a case that is sure to be quoted as a precedent, a Higher regional court overturned a lower decision and ordered PokerStars to pay back the money. Earlier this year, a similar decision was passed in the Frankfurt Higher regional court.
The Fourth Treaty on Gambling allowed for the establishment of online slots and poker platforms in German. This only occurred earlier this year. So at the time, PokerStars accepted wagers from the player, they were operating illegally.
But the player was also breaking the law
A very fine argument would be to ask whether the player was also breaking the law by placing illegal poker wagers. The answer is yes.
In handing down the ruling, the court says it took all this into consideration. It found that PokerStars failed to notify players that their service was still unregulated, leaving them guilty of operating without a gambling license.