Two poker sites have been ordered to pay back their players in a ruling described by the gamblers’ lawyer as “groundbreaking.” Lawyer Benzi Loonstein said it was “the first time that a judge has ordered online casinos to refund the bets made to players.”

The losses occurred between 2006 and 2021, before legalization of Dutch online gambling

Loonstein represented two Dutch gamblers as they sought to retrieve losses incurred on PokerStars and Bwin. They filed a lawsuit against the operators, claiming that their gambling agreements were null and void because the sites operated in the Netherlands without a license. The losses occurred between 2006 and 2021, before legalization of Dutch online gambling in October 2021.

Of course, the operators had their say too. PokerStars claimed that most of the money in poker flows to other players, so it would be unfair to order them to pay back all the funds. The judge, however, did not agree.

Together, the two sites will pay around $450,000 to the players. That includes €230,705 ($246,373) from PokerStars, and €187,622 ($200,364) from Bwin. Both totals come in addition to interest and legal costs.

Loonstein was evidently pleased with the result, confirming that his team had worked on the case for 18 months. He deemed it a “groundbreaking ruling” and a just one given that “the gambling companies have clearly ignored their duty of care.” He concluded that the court had shown the behavior to be “unacceptable.”