LG Münster orders bwin to repay €29,265 over deposit-limit breach

Bwin must repay a player €29,265 after the Landgericht Münster ruled on 15 October 2026 that the operator had breached Germany's €1,000 monthly deposit limit, according to CLLB Rechtsanwälte, the law firm that brought the case. The court held that Bwin Ltd holding a licence to offer online sports betting in Germany did not affect its decision.

The player lost €32,265 on bwin's platform. After the deposit limit was taken into account, the court found his loss stood at €29,265, and CLLB said it had sought repayment of that amount from bwin. Bwin Ltd received its German concession on 9 October 2020.

According to the firm's account of the ruling, the court found that bwin breached § 4 paragraphs 4 and 5 of the 2012 state gambling treaty (Glücksspielstaatsvertrag) by failing to observe the deposit limit, and that the provision is a protective law. The court said bwin had not set a deposit or loss limit for the claimant at registration, and that leaving players to set their own limits would undermine the treaty's aim of preventing gambling addiction. It also found no contributory fault by the claimant, who credibly stated he was unaware of a prohibition.

Thomas Sittner, a lawyer at CLLB Rechtsanwälte, said the ruling showed that a licence alone is not a free pass for prohibited online gambling, and that operators must comply with conditions attached to the concession, such as the deposit limit. He said players can reclaim most of their losses where operators breach those conditions. The source did not state whether bwin has appealed or given a response.