Betsson AB has lost its appeal in the Swedish Supreme Court over a SEK5.8m (£450,000) payout to a former customer.
Sweden’s Patent and Market Court of Appeal first issued the ruling to the operator back in December 2023.
At the time, the court ordered Betsson AB to repay money to a former customer who was diagnosed with a gambling addiction.
The player in question, known to be male and named ‘Per’ in the Swedish press, claimed that the operator was aware of his condition while he gambled with the platform between 2009 and 2014.
His gaming with the Stockholm-listed business occurred five years before the country’s gambling market re-regulated in 2019.
‘Per’ attested that Betsson AB continued to send him extensive marketing materials geared towards online casino despite its awareness of his condition.
Betsson AB denied the allegations, and the original Patent and Market Court ruling sided with the operator.
Following an appeal by the plaintiff, the Patent and Market Court of Appeal then reversed the decision and ordered Betsson to repay most of the customer’s losses.
Betsson was also told to pay an extra SEK10,000 for the player’s “mental suffering”, leading the operator to lodge an appeal with the Swedish Supreme Court.
In its ruling, the Patent and Market Court of Appeal noted there were “clear signs that he (Per) had lost control of his gambling and that these were visible to the gaming company and that the company has known about this at least from the time when the player became a so-called VIP customer”.
The court also noted Betsson “continued to advertise the game intrusively” despite its awareness of the problem.
The Supreme Court subsequently upheld the Patent and Market Court of Appeal’s decision.
Following the ruling, Betsson AB president and CEO Pontus Lindwall expressed the operator’s disappointment of the outcome.
He said: “We are of course disappointed with the Supreme Court’s decision in this individual case.
“At the same time, we note that these are very specific circumstances and that the judgment is not expected to have any broader financial consequences for our operations.
“Betsson has for a long time implemented rigorous processes for responsible gaming. We do not allow customers with gambling problems known to us to use our services.”
Earlier this week, Betsson Group announced it had signed a three-year deal to become the front-of-shirt sponsor for Belgian team Club Brugge.
The operator also launched its flagship sports betting brand in Lithuania last month.
The post Betsson AB loses Supreme Court appeal over SEK5.8m customer care payout first appeared on EGR Intel.
Operator left “disappointed” by the decision, as court upholds the Patent and Market Court of Appeal’s previous ruling in historical case
The post Betsson AB loses Supreme Court appeal over SEK5.8m customer care payout first appeared on EGR Intel.