The CJEU ruled that EU states can ban online gambling services even with cross-border licenses. Lottoland lost its case; players can sue for refunds. Billions in claims now proceed, and crypto casinos under Malta licenses face the same risk.
An Advocate General of the EU court said Malta’s Bill 55 is incompatible with EU law, deepening pressure on the country’s cross-border iGaming model just days after another adverse ruling.
The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled in Case C-788/24 that VPNs are lawful technical tools and that the mere fact users can bypass geo-blocking does not make publishers liable for copyright infringement. The dispute stemmed from an online academic edition of Anne Frank diary manuscripts made available by Dutch and Belgian institutions, which hosted the material in Belgium and blocked Dutch IP addresses because copyright status differs across countries. While the manuscripts have entered the public domain in Belgium and roughly 60 other jurisdictions, parts of the content remain protected in the Netherlands until 2037. A Swiss foundation, Anne Frank Fonds, argued that geo-blocking was ineffective because Dutch users could easily use a VPN to appear to be in Belgium. The EU court rejected that argument, saying measures that can be circumvented are not automatically ineffective if the publisher used state-of-the-art geo-blocking. The ruling also said VPN providers and similar services do not bear joint liability for users who evade access restrictions. The decision is being viewed as a major legal win for the VPN industry in Europe and a practical standard for handling the tension between borderless internet access and territorial copyright rules.
EU Advocate General Nicholas Emiliou issued a non-binding opinion on April 23 finding Malta's Bill 55 incompatible with EU law, marking the second major legal blow to the country's iGaming protection regime within a week.
Bet-at-Home's Q1 2026 GGR dropped 16.1% to €11.34M after it passed a 5% Austrian gambling tax hike to customers, while competitors absorbed the increase. Sportsbook stakes fell by €22M, pushing EBITDA negative.
Bet-at-Home reported a 16.1% decline in Q1 2026 GGR to €11.34M after choosing to pass on Austria's 5% gambling tax to players. Rivals who absorbed the hike gained market share. EBITDA turned negative. CEO maintains full-year outlook but warns of further tax hikes to 10%.
Bet-at-Home's Q1 2026 GGR fell 16.1% to €11.34M after passing a 5% Austrian gambling tax increase to customers from June 2025, causing a €22M drop in sportsbook stakes. Competitors absorbed the tax, leading to negative EBITDA.
