WILLEMSTAD – The Court of First Instance of Curaçao has rejected a multimillion-dollar claim by a player who demanded reimbursement of more than US$7.8 million in gambling losses from an online casino operator.
The player argued that the casino had failed in its duty of care by allowing him to continue gambling despite several warning signs of possible problematic gambling behavior. According to the claim, the casino should have intervened earlier because of his large deposits, repeated requests for bonuses and cashback, and multiple requests to close his account.
The player also argued that the casino should not have accepted him as a customer because he was living in Saudi Arabia, where online gambling is prohibited. He further claimed that the operator failed to properly investigate his financial situation and the origin of his funds.
The court rejected these arguments and ruled that the gambling agreement between the player and the casino was valid. The court found that the player had not sufficiently demonstrated why restrictions on online gambling in Saudi Arabia would make the agreement legally invalid under Curaçao law.
The court also rejected the argument that the casino had abused the player’s circumstances.
According to the ruling, the casino operated under a valid Curaçao gaming license and had provided several responsible gambling tools, including self-exclusion options, deposit and loss limits, and the possibility to disable marketing messages.
The court emphasized that players also have personal responsibility for their gambling behavior. A player decides whether to participate, how much money to spend and whether to continue playing.
The judge noted that the consequences of ignoring available protection measures generally remain the responsibility of the player when a gambling provider has made those measures available.
The claim was therefore dismissed, and the player was ordered to pay the casino’s legal costs.