Getting money back from an online casino: the legal position

Whether money can be recovered from an online casino depends first on how it was paid in: direct debit, bank transfer, card and crypto follow different rules, and German law does not contain a general right to have lost stakes repaid. According to AskGamblers, Playzilla, Rolling Slots, PlayiO and Qbet list “Sofort” as a deposit method, and Rolling Slots also lists “Klarna Instant Bank Transfer”; casino.guru does not list Sofort or Klarna for any of the casinos. Anyone who paid in by instant bank transfer authorised that transfer themselves.

Whether an operator may offer gambling in Germany is shown by the GGL whitelist, which the joint gambling authority publishes under § 9 (8) GlüStV (as retrieved on 02.10.2026).

What the law says about gambling losses

The starting point is § 762 BGB (German Civil Code): „Durch Spiel oder durch Wette wird eine Verbindlichkeit nicht begründet.“ (gaming and betting create no enforceable obligation). The same provision also states that what has been paid cannot be reclaimed for that reason alone (gesetze-im-internet.de, as of 07.10.2026).

Alongside it stands § 134 BGB: „Ein Rechtsgeschäft, das gegen ein gesetzliches Verbot verstößt, ist nichtig“ (a legal transaction that violates a statutory prohibition is void), unless the law provides otherwise (as of 07.10.2026). Such a prohibition is found in § 4 (1) GlüStV 2021: public gambling may only be organised or brokered with a permit from the competent state authority, and unlicensed gambling as well as taking part in payments for it are prohibited (gesetze-bayern.de, as of 06.10.2026).

How these rules fit together for losses at operators without a German permit is before the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) in the lead-decision procedure I ZR 216/25 (press release no. 086/2026). In it, a player is claiming back €10,092 in losses from online casino games played between 2020 and 2022; the lower courts ruled in his favour, and the hearing was scheduled for 17.09.2026. Our source names no judgment (as of 06.10.2026); the BGH outcome is open.

Instant transfer, bank transfer and direct debit

For a SEPA core direct debit there is a clear deadline: under § 675x (2) and (4) BGB the payer can demand a refund from their bank within eight weeks of the debit without giving reasons, and the bank decides within ten business days (gesetze-im-internet.de, as of 07.10.2026). The wording sets this eight-week rule only for direct debits, and a bank transfer, instant transfers included, is not one.

For an unauthorised payment transaction, § 675u BGB obliges the payment service provider to refund the amount without delay, at the latest by the end of the business day following notification; if it reports a suspicion of fraud by the payer in writing, only after examination (as of 07.10.2026).

Our sources set fixed deadlines only for SEPA core direct debits (§ 675x BGB) and for unauthorised payments (§ 675u BGB).

Charging back a credit card payment

The sources list Visa and Mastercard as deposit methods at Playzilla, PlayiO, Qbet and Rolling Slots. If a card was misused, meaning charged without the cardholder's approval, § 675u BGB applies here as well, with the payment service provider's duty to refund. For a card payment you approved yourself, your bank's terms apply.

For an existing balance, a withdrawal to the card is the direct route. The sources give 0–5 days (according to AskGamblers EN) or 3–5 days (according to AskGamblers DE) for Playzilla, and 3–5 days for PlayiO and Rolling Slots.

PayPal: reclaiming money

None of the casinos lists PayPal among its deposit methods, so a reclaim through PayPal does not arise with these brands. Instead of PayPal, the brands list e-wallets such as Skrill, Neteller and MiFinity. On the common question of whether money sent via PayPal can be recovered: for unauthorised payments, § 675u BGB applies against the payer's payment service provider; none of our sources names a separate rule for gambling payments made through PayPal.

Getting a crypto deposit back

According to casino.guru, all brands covered here accept cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and Tether (USDT). The refund rules of §§ 675u and 675x BGB are addressed to the payer's payment service provider; none of our sources names a provision under which a crypto transaction is reversed. For licensed operators, § 6b (4) GlüStV 2021 additionally requires a payment account in the player's name and declares anonymous means of payment inadmissible in distance selling (as of 06.10.2026).

For withdrawing a balance in crypto, the sources give 0–1 hours for PlayiO and Qbet, and for Rolling Slots 0–24 hours (according to AskGamblers) or „sofort“ (according to LCB); for Playzilla there is no information.

Brands: Playzilla, PlayiO

For Playzilla the sources give the licence as Anjouan Gaming Board (according to AskGamblers EN) / PAGCOR (according to AskGamblers DE) / no known licence (according to casino.guru). For PlayiO they read Tobique Gaming Commission (according to AskGamblers) / no licence (according to casino.guru) / Curaçao (according to casinoohnelizenz.com, as of Dec. 2024).

Anyone having a claim examined needs the operator as the opposing party, and here the sources contradict each other: for Playzilla they name Liernin Enterprises LTD (according to AskGamblers DE) / IGplay (according to the AskGamblers EN data sheet), for PlayiO Dreamline Ventures SRL (according to AskGamblers) / NovaForge Ltd (according to casino.guru) / Rabidi N.V. (according to casinoohnelizenz.com, as of Dec. 2024).

For an existing balance, the sources give Playzilla a processing time of 0–5 days (according to AskGamblers EN) or 1–5 days (according to AskGamblers DE), no withdrawals at the weekend and no deposit or withdrawal fees. For PlayiO the figures range from pending 0–5 days (according to the AskGamblers data sheet) through up to 3 working days (according to the AskGamblers text) to up to 48 hours (according to casinoohnelizenz.com); according to casinoohnelizenz.com and AskGamblers there are no fees. According to AskGamblers both can be reached by live chat 24/7 and e-mail; at Playzilla the live chat is in English only, according to casino.guru.

Brands: Qbet

According to AskGamblers, Qbet operates under a licence from the Tobique Gaming Commission, licence no. 0000087; casino.guru confirms the authority. As operator the sources name Novatech Solutions N.V. (according to casino.guru) / RegalTech Solutions Limitada (according to AskGamblers).

For withdrawing a balance, AskGamblers states: pending 0–48 hours; after that e-wallets and crypto 0–1 hours, card 24–48 hours, bank transfer 1–5 days, with withdrawals also at the weekend. Deposits are free of charge; the first withdrawal per day is free, and every further one within 24 hours costs a 3 % administration fee. Anyone trying to get a balance back therefore loses part of it to fees when making several requests on the same day. Contact runs via live chat 24/7 and e-mail; both sources mention German-language support.

Brands: Rolling Slots

According to casino.guru, Rolling Slots is run by GBL Solutions N.V. and lists its licence as Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA), OGL/2024/589/0556; AskGamblers and LCB confirm both.

For an existing balance, the sources give 0–24 hours to 3–7 days depending on the method (according to AskGamblers) / processing 3–5 working days (according to LCB), no withdrawals at the weekend and no deposit or withdrawal fees. The minimum withdrawal is €10 (according to AskGamblers). Support can be reached by live chat 24/7 and e-mail; casino.guru and AskGamblers differ on whether it speaks German.

When advice makes sense

Whether a claim exists in a specific case depends on the payment method, the period, the operator and its permit. A consumer advice centre or a lawyer can assess the individual case. Useful documents are bank statements showing the deposits, records from the player account and the correspondence with support.