A court in Curaçao has dismissed a player’s lawsuit against Stake

A court of first instance in Curaçao has rejected a lawsuit filed by a player against crypto casino Stake, operated by Medium Rare N.V. The claimant sought compensation totaling 36.6 BTC and approximately $400,000 in USDT, alleging losses incurred while gaming on the website.

The ruling was issued on 9 June 2025 and officially published on 28 January 2026.

No Regulatory Obligation at the Time of Play

According to the ruling, no statutory duty existed during 2022–2023 that would have required Stake to track player activity or identify vulnerable users.

The court emphasized that Curaçao’s player protection framework was adopted only in late 2024, making retrospective liability legally impossible.

False Information and Use of VPN

The ruling further noted that the claimant provided false information about his place of residence, declaring India instead of the United Kingdom and relying on a VPN to access the website.

This conduct, the court said, materially affected the assessment of liability.

Self-Exclusion Was Available

The case materials also note that the player was advised in May 2023 to consider self-exclusion, though he did not take that step at the time.

He only reported issues related to gambling addiction in December 2023, after which the operator blocked the account within two days — a fact acknowledged by the court.

Player Ordered to Pay Legal Costs

As part of the ruling, the court ordered the claimant to reimburse Stake’s legal expenses, estimated at approximately €5,600.

Ongoing Reputational Challenges for Stake

Despite the favorable ruling in Curaçao, Stake continues to face reputational pressure linked to separate legal proceedings.

As previously reported, a Swedish player named Chris has brought a claim against Stake co-founder Ed Craven, demanding the recovery of $1.5 million in gambling losses dating back to 2020–2024.

The dispute includes allegations related to VIP account management and repeated access following attempts at self-exclusion. Stake’s legal representatives argue that the claimant is attempting to use claims of gambling addiction as grounds for financial recovery and deny any wrongdoing.

Although the case has yet to be resolved, it is regarded as particularly sensitive for the industry, as it touches on issues such as underage exposure, VIP practices, and the effectiveness of self-exclusion systems — areas that remain under close scrutiny by regulators worldwide.