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Gamblers do not have to repay credit card transactions for illegal gambling: German court
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In a significant development, a German court in Munich has ruled that gamblers who used credit cards to perform gambling activities with an illegal online gambling website need not have to repay the credit card companies for these specific transactions. The court is basically putting the onus checking the legality of the transaction and the license of the gambling company on the financial institutions that offer credit cards.
The District Court of Munich ruled this when dismissing a case filed by Landesbank Berlin against a Visa credit card holder. The card holder had claimed that he was not liable to pay his debts because they had been incurred while playing on an online gaming site that was not legally licensed in Germany.
Landesbank has not filed an appeal against the judgment, meaning the ruling is here to stay.
Germany’s online gambling laws are complicated. Broadly speaking, online gaming is illegal, although the country retains a monopoly on lottery games and a semi-monopoly sports betting. This has been challenged several times by the European Commission, the governing body of the European Union.
The country’s Interstate Gambling Treaty of 2012 dictated that online casino gaming would remain illegal unless individual states pass laws to regulate it. Schleswig-Holstein was the only German state to legislate to license online gaming, in 2012, but it repealed the law the following year after a change in government.
Many online gaming operators based within the EU view Germany as a grey market because they believe its internal gambling laws violate European laws on free cross-border trade between EU member states.
As recently as 2016, the Court of Justice for the European Union ruled that Germany could not impose penalties on online gambling companies operating without a German license because it was not possible for a company licensed in other EU member states to obtain a license.
But the news that German citizens can take out credit with gambling sites that are licensed in EU member states, although not in Germany, and then refuse to pay them back, is likely to give operators pause for thought, whether the German court’s ruling is illegal under EU law or not.
The court in Munich applied Federal Court of Justice (Germany’s highest court) case law when it ruled that the onus is on the banks to refuse payments to unlicensed online gambling companies.
Further, it said, the transactions in the Landesbank Berlin case would have flagged up a special code to the bank that identified them as an online gambling payment. The court found there was no question the bank had failed to spot this code because it added its own special commission for “casino sales.”
“The court cannot recognize any wrongful action on the behalf of the defendant. Rather, it is the plaintiff who behaves in an abusive manner if it clearly violates a legal prohibition … the purpose … [of which] … is to protect the defendant from the dangers of gambling,” said the ruling.
Source: Casino.org
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
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Tequity and iBankroll forge strategic partnership
Tequity, the technology partner behind some of the industry’s most scalable and customisable gaming solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with iBankroll that brings together two complementary engines of operator growth: high-performance Originals content and a liquidity support solution designed to remove exposure and empower operators to scale responsibly.
The partnership reflects a shared ambition to help operators overcome both creative and capital constraints. Through iBankroll’s Bankroll-as-a-Service solution, partners gain access to Tequity’s modular Remote Game Server (RGS) and its expanding portfolio of fully customisable Originals – a suite of provably fair, streamer-friendly, brandable titles engineered for next-generation engagement.
By aligning liquidity support with cutting-edge content delivery, the partnership aims to remove longstanding barriers in the iGaming sector – whether related to volatility, differentiation, or the technical bandwidth required to launch new experiences at speed.
Operators will now be able to offer bigger limits, streamline withdrawals, and deploy fully brandable Originals, supported by a capital-efficient foundation that enhances consistency and theoretical value.
With operators increasingly seeking adaptable content frameworks and operational models that support higher limits and smoother user experiences, the collaboration introduces an integrated pathway to growth.
The joint rollout marks the beginning of a broader collaboration, with both companies focused on accelerating innovation across fintech and gaming technology.
Dominic Sawyer, VP Growth at Tequity, said: “iBankroll removes the capital constraint for ambitious operators. Tequity does the same on the content side with high-performance, fully brandable house games. Together, we give partners the confidence to offer bigger limits and smooth withdrawals on games that players genuinely love.”
Hayden Bowman, Co-Founder of iBankroll, added: “Tequity’s engineering expertise, scalable infrastructure, and standout Originals portfolio make them an ideal partner. Bringing their technology together with our Bankroll-as-a-Service gives operators a compelling foundation to grow, innovate, and future-proof their business.”
The post Tequity and iBankroll forge strategic partnership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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ENJOY expands distribution through SoftGamings partnership
Collaboration marks a key step in ENJOY’s ongoing growth strategy
ENJOY, the dynamic iGaming content developer, has broadened its market access through a new partnership with SoftGamings, bringing its slot and live casino portfolio to one of the industry’s leading aggregation platforms.
The deal sees ENJOY’s content, including standout releases Hotfire Diamonds, Bison Strike and Grand Lightning, made available to SoftGamings’ extensive network, reinforcing the studio’s strategy to deliver its titles across multiple markets.
The integration is the latest in a string of alliances with key industry stakeholders, and reaffirms the studio’s commitment to innovative design, technical reliability and long-term commercial impact.
Christos Zoulianitis, Chief Commercial Officer at ENJOY, said: “This new partnership firmly places ENJOY’s games in front of a wider audience seeking proven, high-quality entertainment.
“SoftGamings has established itself as a trusted distribution partner, and this collaboration supports our focus on sustainable, global growth.”
Inna Lukina, Head of Partnerships at SoftGamings, added: “ENJOY delivers strong, player-focused content that stands out for both its technical execution and playability.
“Adding its titles to our platform offers our clients access to a brand with clear creative direction and momentum.”
The post ENJOY expands distribution through SoftGamings partnership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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PRAGMATIC PLAY STRIKES GOLD WITH FORTUNE OF OLYMPUS
Pragmatic Play, a leading content supplier to the iGaming industry, unleashes a thunderous new entry in its iconic Greek Gods series with Fortune of Olympus – an electrifying 7×7 cluster-pays slot charged with random multipliers, dynamic special bets, and a 10,000x max win.
Fortune of Olympus is the latest feature-packed addition to the industry-leading Gates of Olympus universe. The blockbuster slot delivers explosive action as clusters of 5-15+ matching symbols reward players with wins of up to 150x in the base game.
On any spin, mighty multiplier symbols worth 2x-500x can strike the grid. When multiple multipliers hit, their values combine and detonate into a single, supercharged payout at the end of the tumbling sequence.
Landing 4-7 scatter symbols triggers the bonus game, awarding 15-30 free spins. During this striking feature, every multiplier that appears is added to a growing total multiplier, which is applied to all subsequent wins in the round, building tension and potential with every spin.
Players in certain markets can also amplify the action with special bets. Ante bets boost the chance of triggering Free Spins or Super Free Spins. The two Super Spins options guarantee at least one multiplier on every spin, with the second raising the minimum multiplier value to 50x.
Those eager for instant power can jump straight into Free Spins or Super Free Spins via 100x or 500x bonus buys, with the latter ensuring all multipliers start from 5x and above.
Fortune of Olympus marks the triumphant return of Pragmatic Play’s legendary Zeus character, following the success of Gates of Olympus Super Scatter and Gates of Olympus 1000, and pushes the fan-favourite series into thrilling new territory.
Irina Cornides, Chief Operating Officer at Pragmatic Play, said: “Fortune of Olympus is a stunning addition to Pragmatic Play’s popular Greek Gods series and a distinctly different kind of outing for Zeus. Taking the iconic Gates of Olympus series in a thrilling new direction, this feature-rich slot delivers a standout experience with epic win potential.”
The post PRAGMATIC PLAY STRIKES GOLD WITH FORTUNE OF OLYMPUS appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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