The Netherlands Has Launched a Platform for Collecting Losses from Gambling Operators

In the Netherlands, a new ambitious project Bonnetje is gaining momentum, the purpose of which is to help players return money left within the walls of online casinos. The founder of the platform was the popular rap artist Boef, and the face of the advertising campaign was former professional football player Andy van der Meyde. It is noteworthy that earlier the athlete actively cooperated with legal bookmakers, but now he has switched to supporting those who have suffered from the "gray" market.

The main focus of Bonnetje is on the period until October 2021 — it was then that the official legalization of the gambling business took place in the Netherlands. Up to this point, many international operators have accepted bets from Dutch users without actually having a local licence. The platform's lawyers insist that all contracts concluded at this time between players and unlicensed sites are legally null and void.

The mechanics of the service are simple and affordable:

• Class actions: Users unite to file claims against operators.
• Payment Model: Customers do not incur any upfront costs. Bonnetje takes a commission only in case of successful completion of the case and a real refund.
• Tools: In addition to litigation, the service actively uses the chargeback procedure through banking structures.

Such a business became possible thanks to the creation of judicial precedents. In a number of recent proceedings, Dutch courts have sided with consumers, recognising the activities of illegal casinos as illegal and obliging them to compensate players for losses.

It is worth noting that the market for such legal services in the country is already quite competitive. In addition to the project of rapper Boef, the interests of deceived or gambling citizens are protected by companies such as Dynamiet Nederland, Gokverliesterug and the law firm Loonstein Advocaten.