Axel Hefer has left his role as chief executive of Tipico, which operates in Germany and Austria, reportedly following Banijay Group’s completed €3bn acquisition. Mate Bacic is lined up to succeed him, according to reports.
The leadership change affects Tipico’s management as ownership shifts to Banijay Group.
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German and European courts have opened the way for players to sue online gambling operators to recover losses incurred between 2008 and 2021, when online betting was illegal in Germany, citing Deutsche Welle. The Stuttgart Higher Regional Court ruled in September 2025 in favour of a Baden-Württemberg player against Malta-based Tipico Games. The BGH is expected to rule in January 2027.
German and European courts have opened the way for players to sue online gambling operators to recover losses accumulated between 2008 and 2021, when online betting was illegal in Germany, citing Deutsche Welle. The main targets are foreign companies that operated in the country without a local licence. Compensation could reach billions of euros, according to the report.
Stuttgart’s higher regional court ordered Tipico to reimburse six players. It found the operator lacked authorisation when the losses occurred, making the gambling contracts void and entitling players to recover their losses.
Tipico appealed a Stuttgart ruling favouring a player who lost about €10,000 during 2020–22. A BGH decision may follow in January 2027; it is not final. The report says operators may argue that knowingly participating in unlawful gambling defeats claims, and individual outcomes depend on each case.
A player who lost roughly EUR 10,000 ($11,200) between 2020 and 2022 won a ruling in September 2025 at the Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart, which found the money had been taken without a valid legal basis. Tipico Games, a Malta-based operator, is challenging that decision before Germany's Federal Court of Justice (BGH). A final ruling in the case may not arrive until January 2027.
A German court found that a Malta-licensed operator had no legal basis to keep losses from online casino and slot play that was prohibited in Germany, citing DW. The Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart heard a case involving about €10,000 lost between 2020 and 2022 with Tipico Games. Germany's Federal Court of Justice indicated support for licence-based repayment claims but is not expected to rule finally until 2027.
DW reported on a ruling by the Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart concerning a Malta-licensed company, Tipico Games. The court concluded that the firm could not lawfully keep money lost by a customer on online casino games and virtual slot machines, since those products were banned in Germany for part of the relevant period. The player's losses came to roughly €10,000 across 2020 to 2022, and the operator was ordered to give the money back.
A commentary says unsuccessful applicants are very likely to challenge Kärnten’s award of three new licences for regional gaming-machine operations. It warns that the transitional operating period ends on 31 October 2026 and that legal challenges could lead to temporary closures; no challenge is reported as filed.