German Court Sanctions a Man for "Illicit Online Gambling"
Last week, the District Court of Munich published a decision declaring a man guilty of "illicit online gambling" breaching section 285 of Germany’s Criminal Code on an undisclosed online casino site.
According to eGamingReview, this unnamed 25-year old German resident was also ordered to repay €63,490 ($75,275) in winnings and a €2,100 ($2,490) fine.
The court heard arguments that the defendant withdrew over €200,000 ($237,000) in online blackjack winnings in 2011, with €73,490 ($87,131) of this money being found in a shoe box during a raid on the defendant's home.
This case could prove to be a landmark case, since it appears that not only gaming operators can be targeted in Germany for play on unlicensed sites in the country.
Gaming lawyer Martin Arendts from the German legal firm Arendts Anwalte told eGamingReview that until now section 285 has been viewed "merely a symbolic criminal offense."
While Arendts also stressed that this case should not be considered a landmark case, many believe that this could open the doors to the country's authorities to go after other customers of remote gaming operators.
Be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews for more information about Germany's gaming marketplace.
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