Novomatic to Pay €2.5m in Compensation to Unnamed Addict

Following up on an unnamed punter’s lawsuit against Novomatic, the Regional Court of Wiener Neustadt has judged the plaintiff’s slot addiction is reason enough to make all his bets invalid. Novomatic has, hence, been ordered to pay in compensation the full amount the plaintiff bet on slots, plus an interest - €2.5m in total. With the ruling not being final, Novomatic’s legal representatives say they will appeal.

Apparently, the pronouncement had been issued on Aug. 10, but was not made public before Oct. 22.

High Stakes Violate Austrian Law

The plaintiff lost ca. €2m on Novomatic’s slot machines over a period of ten years (2002 to 2012), due to “partial incapacitation.”

An expert in the field, appearing at the court, explained that the punter “could not resist” the temptation, and had to play excessively. The habit left him unable to work, which was the main reason he filed the lawsuit in the first place.

In addition to the ruling, the court also noted that Novomatic’s gaming machines “violate the regulations” in more ways than one, especially in terms of accepting exceptionally high stakes.

Not the First

This is not the first time Novomatic has faced a ruling like this one, albeit the compensation in this instance is indeed the highest. Back in 2014, the operator had to repay the losses of another Austrian individual, after a Vienna court had rendered all of his “gaming contracts” invalid. The sum in question was €440,000, with the pronouncement determining that, due to his gambling addiction, the plaintiff was not to be held responsible for his actions.

Amendments to Tackle the Issue

Amendments to the Viennese Events Act, adopted in late 2014, have been enforced in Austria since 2015. On the spot, these all but banned slots and other gaming machines from being operated outside of casinos. Prior to the alteration, slot machines had been available in various locations, including gas stations and shops. They amounted to 2,600 devices in Vienna alone, 1,500 of which were operated by Novomatic.

Addiction Prevention: Novomatic’s Corporate Responsibility

Novomatic deploys one of the most modern concepts for the prevention of gambling addiction Europe-wide. The operator has developed and implemented a subtle access system for AWP machine operations, which provides “the highest level of youth and gamer protection.”

Further out, Novomatic is committed to aiding addiction research and therapy, having cooperated with the Medical University of Vienna to that end since 2006. Back in August, the operator pledged additional €120,000 and two more years to the institution.

University’s Professor, Gabriele Fischer, said at the time that “part of the research projects is only possible because of the co-financing of private sponsors.”

“Novomatic has been making a substantial contribution for years to support independent research work,” said Professor Fischer.

Head of group corporate responsibility and sustainability at Novomatic, Dr Eva Glawischnig, commented on operator’s end:

“Co-operation in the field of addiction prevention, science and research form part of Novomatic’s corporate responsibility. This commitment is not limited to Austria but instead takes place in all countries in which we operate.”

Source:

"Austria court orders Novomatic to pay €2.5m to slots addict", Steven Stradbrooke, calvinayre.com, October 22, 2018.

"Novomatic faces €2.5m pay-out to slots addict", igamingbusiness.com, October 23, 2018.