Curaçao Court Rules Against Parimatch in Dispute Over Player Funds
Background of the Case
On March 13, 2023, the Court of First Instance of Curaçao delivered a ruling against sports betting operator Parimatch. The court ordered the company to compensate a player $19,630 after it was found that Parimatch had wrongly seized the player’s account balance without sufficient proof of wrongdoing.
Details of the Dispute
The case dates back to 2021 when Parimatch froze a player’s funds, accusing them of violating the platform’s rules by operating multiple accounts. The operator claimed the player’s activity breached its policies.
However, the court found that Parimatch had not adequately informed users about its terms and conditions. More importantly, the company failed to provide concrete evidence proving the player’s violation. The player’s use of various IP addresses was explained by the plaintiff, a foundation representing online gaming victims, as a consequence of Belarus’ dynamic IP address system.
Consequently, the court ruled in favor of the player and stated that the funds should not have been confiscated. Parimatch, along with its former master license holder Cyberluck, was ordered to pay the amount seized plus 15% in extrajudicial fees and statutory interest from June 22, 2021.
Other Legal Developments Involving Parimatch
Earlier this year, the England and Wales High Court sided with Parimatch in a trademark dispute against Abudantia. The latter had accused Parimatch-related businesses of unfairly terminating a trademark agreement. Though the court ruled in favor of Parimatch, it criticized the operator for allegedly presenting falsified evidence during the proceedings.
Parimatch’s Partnership with Manchester United
On a positive note, Parimatch recently secured a sponsorship deal with Manchester United, becoming their Official Betting Partner. This agreement targets the Asian and Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) markets. Under this partnership, Parimatch’s logo will appear on the team’s jerseys as well as on LED advertising boards within Manchester United’s home stadium, Old Trafford.
Despite upcoming regulations in the UK that will ban professional athletes from displaying gambling company logos on jersey fronts, many Premier League clubs continue to maintain promotional relationships with betting operators.
