Guts.com withdraws from Germany after player prosecution

Online casino Guts.com is to close its doors to customers in Germany as of next week following the recent decision from a Munich court to fine a player for gambling on an unregulated site.

The casino emailed affiliates earlier this week to inform them it would be pulling its services from the country and that all accounts registered to players located within Germany’s boarders would be locked as of 16 February.

The operator explained the decision had been made in light of a recent verdict in which a player was found guilty of breaching section 285 of Germany’s Criminal Code which prohibits players from using unlicensed gambling sites.

“We hope to welcome you back in the future. After all, said verdict goes against everything the EU stands for & we do expect the verdict to be overturned,” the email read.

The verdict, which marked the first time a player had been convicted of such an offence in Germany, has proven to be highly contentious and speaking to eGaming Review this morning Martin Arendts of local law firm Arendts Anwalte said Guts.com had been “overly cautious” in its conclusion.

“The decision of the District Court of Munch is not final and has been appealed,” Arendts said. “The reasoning is not very well founded, from my point of view.”

The individual’s appeal is due to be heard by the Munich District Court – the largest of the 22 district courts in Bavaria – on an as yet unconfirmed date.

Guts.com’s decision to withdraw from Germany comes shortly after the Playtech-powered Mansion Group took the decision to block access from Germany to its casino brands.