WILLEMSTAD – The Court of Curaçao has ruled in favor of the Foundation for the Representation of Victims of Online Gambling Services (SBGOK) in a major case against online gambling operator LFG Gaming N.V. and former master license holder Gaming Services Provider.
The case centered on a Filipino player who lost more than $162,000 while gambling through the online casino Heybets.io. According to the court, the casino failed to adequately intervene despite clear warning signs of problematic gambling behavior.
SBGOK had taken over the claim from the player, who created an account on July 6, 2023 using his Philippine address details. The court noted that LFG Gaming accepted the account even though the company did not hold a license to legally operate in the Philippines. At the time, LFG Gaming operated under a Curaçao sublicense issued by Gaming Services Provider.
According to court documents, the player lost more than $162,000 between July 2023 and March 2024.
Central to the case were conversations between the player and the casino, which SBGOK presented during the proceedings. The messages showed that the player repeatedly requested permanent closure of his account. Instead of honoring those requests, the casino allegedly offered bonuses and free bets to encourage him to continue gambling.
The court concluded that both LFG Gaming and Gaming Services Provider failed to meet their duty of care obligations.
According to the ruling, signals of risky and problematic gambling behavior “were apparent, or should have been apparent,” yet insufficient action was taken to protect the player.
The judge stated that the player had unsuccessfully requested multiple times to permanently close his account and was repeatedly tempted to continue gambling through promotional offers.
As a result, the court ordered repayment of a large portion of the claimed losses, totaling approximately $143,958.
The case also raised questions about who ultimately bears financial responsibility.
LFG Gaming’s sublicense expired several months after the complaints emerged, and the company later deregistered from the Curaçao Chamber of Commerce in September 2024.
In previous gambling-related court cases on Curaçao, master license holders were often held responsible. However, Gaming Services Provider argued that it had attempted to intervene after learning about player complaints and claimed that LFG Gaming ignored its communications, thereby violating sublicense conditions.
GSP maintained that responsibility should remain with LFG Gaming and its owner, identified in the ruling as German national Dominic Karim Jamil.
The court ultimately ruled that both parties share responsibility for payment.
The decision means SBGOK can recover the awarded amount from Gaming Services Provider if LFG Gaming itself fails to pay. GSP may then attempt to recover those funds from LFG Gaming and its owner through separate legal action.
The ruling adds to growing international scrutiny surrounding Curaçao’s online gambling sector and the responsibilities of operators and license holders toward vulnerable players.