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A Maltese court has ruled in favor of Betway, supporting the operator’s decision to withhold over €30,000 in disputed winnings after finding that the player had violated its terms and conditions.
The Civil Court First Hall dismissed the claim filed by Reegan Tharmalingam, who sought to recover €30,279 in winnings after using a Neteller account belonging to his cousin, Sansigithan Ravichandran, to deposit funds. Tharmalingam had opened his Betway account, under the username ReeganR, in May 2021, but investigations later linked it to other self-excluded accounts.
Court Confirms Breach of Terms
In a 6 November ruling, Judge Giovanni Grixti concluded that Betway acted lawfully and in accordance with its contractual terms, which prohibit the use of third-party payment methods and multiple account registrations.
“It is therefore clear that such conduct on the part of the plaintiff, admitted by himself, goes against the terms and conditions that bind the players of the defendant company,”
Grixti stated.
Betway confiscated the winnings obtained through these breaches but refunded €18,721 in deposits as a “gesture of goodwill.”
Tharmalingam argued that Betway should have detected the violations sooner, but the court rejected this, noting that delayed detection “does not change any of the obligations contracted between the parties.”
Linked Accounts and Risk Review
Carla Tarrin Paulse, Betway’s fraud team lead, testified that the ReeganR account was connected to three others, including Reegan1982 and ut1627, both self-excluded in April 2021. Investigators found identical mobile numbers, bank details, and password identifiers, confirming the link.
Although Tharmalingam successfully withdrew €3,124 shortly after registration, subsequent withdrawal requests of €30,000 triggered a risk review, revealing the rule violations.
Under cross-examination, Tharmalingam admitted he had not read Betway’s terms and conditions, though he had clicked “accept” when opening his account.
Regulator and Responsible Gambling
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) had already dismissed the player’s complaint, determining that Betway acted within its legal and regulatory obligations.
The court emphasized that self-exclusion tools exist to protect players and that operators must enforce such rules to uphold responsible gambling standards.
By upholding Betway’s decision, the court reaffirmed that operators are entitled to withhold winnings obtained through breaches of terms and responsible gambling policies, sending a clear signal on the importance of player compliance in the regulated market.
Source: Next
