- Status
- Judgment entered (judgment)
- As of
- 23 Mar 2011 · read from the court record
- Court
- Raad van State, Afdeling bestuursrechtspraak · Appellate court
- Docket
- 200700622/1/H3-A (ECLI:NL:RVS:2011:BP8768)
- Filed
- not on record
- Type
- Operator v. regulator, licensing and administrative court cases
- Money
- No settlement fund or award on record
- Payout
- No payout exists as of 14 Nov 2026
Status words follow the court record: a complaint states one side's allegations, only the court's orders decide anything. Filing a settlement claim is always free.
What this case is about
Betfair challenged the 2005 refusal of Dutch licences and the renewal of De Lotto's (sports betting) and Scientific Games Racing's (totalisator) exclusive licences without a tender; it appealed to the Afdeling bestuursrechtspraak in January 2007. After the CJEU judgment of 3 June 2010 (C-203/08) the Raad van State held on 23 March 2011 that the single-licence systems as such comply with EU law, but that the minister had restricted the free movement of services by not letting Betfair compete for the licences; Betfair's UK licence gave it no right to offer online gambling in the Netherlands. No further appeal is possible.
What this case is about
Betfair v Minister van Justitie, case 200700622/1/H3-A (ECLI:NL:RVS:2011:BP8768), is a ruling of the Raad van State, Afdeling bestuursrechtspraak, of 23 March 2011 on the Dutch single-licence system for sports betting and the totalisator. It is one of the licensing and administrative court cases in which an operator challenges a state's licensing model.
The Sporting Exchange Ltd (Betfair) challenged the 2005 refusal of Dutch licences and the renewal of the exclusive licences of De Lotto (sports betting) and Scientific Games Racing (totalisator) without a tender. It appealed in January 2007 and relied on art. 49 EC (now art. 56 TFEU) against the Wok single-licence system.
Who is covered
The ruling concerns one operator, Betfair, and the Dutch Minister of Justice as regulator. It affects foreign operators who want to offer online gambling in the Netherlands on the strength of a licence from another country.
The Raad van State held that Betfair's UK licence gave it no right to offer online gambling in the Netherlands. Other Dutch cases are listed on Gambling Lawsuits in Netherlands.
Is there a payout?
No payout exists in this case. It is a licensing dispute between an operator and the state, with no fund, no settlement and no claim process, and the record shows no damages award.
What the court decided
The Raad van State decided the case after the CJEU judgment of 3 June 2010 (C-203/08). On 23 March 2011 it held that the single-licence systems as such comply with EU law. It also held that the minister had restricted the free movement of services by not letting Betfair compete for the licences.
As of 14 November 2026 the ruling is final, because no further appeal is possible.
Why it matters
The judgment is a precedent with two halves. The single-licence model itself survived, but the minister's refusal to let Betfair compete was held to restrict the free movement of services.
For other operator-versus-regulator disputes, see Operators Against Regulators and States.
Related cases
- C-203/08 The Sporting Exchange Ltd (Betfair) v Minister van Justitie is the CJEU judgment of 3 June 2010 that preceded this ruling.
- Stichting de Nationale Sporttotalisator (De Lotto) tegen Ladbrokes is the Hoge Raad ruling of 24 February 2012 after C-258/08.
Questions people ask
Is the Dutch single-licence system lawful under EU law?
The Raad van State held on 23 March 2011 that the single-licence systems as such comply with EU law. It nevertheless held that Betfair should have been allowed to compete for the licences.
Does a UK licence let an operator offer online gambling in the Netherlands?
No. The Raad van State held that Betfair's UK licence gave it no right to offer online gambling in the Netherlands.
Can the ruling still be appealed?
No further appeal is possible, according to the record.
Who is involved
Plaintiffs: The Sporting Exchange Ltd (Betfair)
| Defendants | Minister van Justitie |
|---|---|
| Claims |
|
Is there a payout?
No payout exists in this case as of 14 Nov 2026.
What happens next
No future date is on the record we hold. The case is closed on the record we hold; later appeals or enforcement steps would be added here.
Timeline
1 dated step on record, oldest first. Future dates come from court notices and can move.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 23 Mar 2011 | Judgment entered |
Documents and sources
4 primary sources (court file, administrator notice, regulator) and 0 secondary. Press is supporting evidence only.
- Court document: data.rechtspraak.nl
| What it supports | Source | Type | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dutch government letter: Raad van State March 2011 ruling on single-licence systems | officielebekendmakingen.nl | primary | 14 Nov 2026 |
| CJEU C-203/08 3 June 2010 | curia.europa.eu | primary | 14 Nov 2026 |
| Raad van State press release 23 March 2011: Betfair should have been allowed to compete; single-licence system; UK licence no right to offer in NL | raadvanstate.nl | primary | 14 Nov 2026 |
| ECLI:NL:RVS:2011:BP8768, 23 March 2011, case 200700622/1/H3-A | data.rechtspraak.nl | primary | 14 Nov 2026 |
Related cases
2 cases in the record share parties, claims or a settlement with this one.
| Case | Court | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Betfair v Netherlands: single-licence renewal without tender needs transparency | Court of Justice of the European Union (referral from Raad van State) | Judgment entered |
| De Lotto v Ladbrokes: Dutch ban on foreign online betting upheld | Hoge Raad der Nederlanden | Judgment entered |
Last checked against the sources on 14 Nov 2026. Found an error? Tell us and we correct the record with a dated note.