The Ellwangen Regional Court awarded a player over 110,000 euros (judgment of 01.10.2025).
The law firm Cocron GmbH & Co. KG has once again achieved a significant ruling before the Ellwangen (Jagst) Regional Court: A defrauded player will receive more than 110,000 euros back from illegal sports betting.
Background of the case:
The plaintiff had gambled with a well-known online sports betting provider for years and suffered massive losses. Although the Interstate Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV) stipulates a monthly deposit limit of €1,000 – in exceptional cases up to €30,000 after prior review – these limits were ignored. In some cases, monthly deposits exceeding €14,000 were possible.
Key findings of the court:
- Legal violations: Online betting contracts without a German license or with excessive limits are void (§ 134 BGB).
- Player protection: The limit requirements (§ 4 para. 5 GlüStV 2012, § 6c GlüStV 2021) expressly serve to protect against gambling addiction and ruinous losses – they are also intended to protect players “from themselves” .
- A Maltese license is not sufficient in Germany; a German concession is required.
- The decisive factor is the exceeding of limits: The fact that the plaintiff was regularly able to deposit far above the permissible amount shows that the offer was “fundamentally not eligible for authorization.” Even with a German license, the authorities would have had to intervene.
- No exclusion of the right to claim restitution: The player cannot be accused of intentionally unlawful conduct. An average user is not required to know that a foreign license is invalid in Germany. Therefore, the so-called bar to unjust enrichment (§ 817 BGB) does not apply.
Meaning for players:
This ruling is part of a growing number of decisions strengthening player protection . Victims can:
- Reclaim losses if providers violate licensing requirements or deposit limits,
- Action can also be taken against foreign-licensed providers if they disregard German regulations.
- rely on established case law that emphasizes consumer protection.
👉 The law firm Cocron GmbH & Co. KG represents players nationwide who wish to reclaim their losses from online sports betting or gambling.
