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Malta court rejects Austria’s player losses ruling on Betway
Malta’s First Hall Civil Court ruled on January 15, 2026, that Austria’s decision to impose an €83,000 fine on Betway for player losses violates Malta’s and the EU’s gaming regulation laws.
The case focused on an Austrian player who tried to recover over €83,000 in gambling losses from Betway, which holds a Maltese gaming license.
In September 2021, an Austrian court ruled in favor of the player, citing that Betway operated without a local license in Austria. However, Malta refused the ruling, stating that it conflicted with Article 56 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which allows member states to offer services across EU countries.
Judge Francesco Depasquale mentioned that Austria’s ruling is fully against the public policy of Malta and also brought up the fact that Betway holds an MGA license, which gives it the right to cross-border operation in the EU.
Judge Depasquale said:
“It is part and parcel of the Maltese gambling legal framework and Maltese public policy that, in accordance with and on the basis of the freedom of an EU-established entity to provide service to consumers within another EU Member State, an MGA license confers the right onto licensees to operate cross-border from Malta.”
The court ordered that the player in question must be responsible for bearing the costs of the proceedings.
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