Berlin/Osnabrück, April 2025 – On March 10, 2025, the Osnabrück Regional Court ruled in favor of a player who was seeking to recover losses from online sports betting. The court clarified that the defendant provider had violated essential player protection regulations of the 2021 Interstate Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV) – in particular, the applicable monthly deposit limit of €1,000.
What was it about? Exceeding the 1,000-euro limit.
The Interstate Gambling Treaty (GlüStV) stipulates that players may not deposit more than €1,000 per month with online providers. While this limit can be raised to €10,000 or €30,000 under certain conditions, the provider must carefully assess the player’s financial capacity.
In this specific case, however, the provider had not requested any reliable proof of income, but had relied solely on a SCHUFA credit report. The regional court clarified: This is insufficient to justify a legally permissible adjustment of the credit limit.
Lawyer István Cocron: Providers bear clear responsibility
István Cocron, Lawyer at the gambling law firm Cocron GmbH & Co. KG, comments on the verdict:
” The Osnabrück Regional Court’s decision underlines that online providers must not circumvent the legally mandated verification mechanisms. A simple SCHUFA credit check is by no means sufficient to meet the requirements for increasing the deposit limit .”
Cocoron adds:
” Anyone who has lost money beyond the limit without a proper review of their finances has a good chance of getting the lost money back .”
Litigation funding is no obstacle to recovery
Remarkably, the court saw no reason to dismiss the lawsuit as inadmissible in the involvement of a litigation funder. This meant the full refund was enforceable – a positive signal for many players who might otherwise be unable to afford legal action.
Conclusion: Player protection taken seriously – refunds possible in case of limit exceedances.
The ruling strengthens the position of gambling customers: Anyone who has been tempted to deposit more than the legal deposit limit can defend themselves – as long as no proper review of their financial circumstances has taken place.
Attorney István Cocron assists clients nationwide in enforcing their claims for reimbursement against online gambling providers. His experienced law firm specializes in cases involving online gambling law, consumer protection, and litigation-funded proceedings.
