A São Paulo court has ordered Sevenx Gaming, operator of betting platform Jogão.bet, to repay BR81,000 lost by a businessman who says he suffers from gambling disorder.
The company must also pay BR10,000 in moral damages.
According to the lawsuit, the businessman formalized his self-exclusion in December through the Federal Government's platform, which blocks all accounts on operators licensed by the Finance Ministry. Operators have 72 hours to complete the block.
He said Sevenx Gaming failed to do so, leaving him with full access to the platform, during which he deposited BR175,000 and lost BR81,000.
"That money would never have been lost had the defendant properly fulfilled its obligation to block the account," said his lawyer, Jonathas de Oliveira Cruz, arguing the company's conduct worsened his condition by exposing him to harmful stimuli during a period of recognized psychological vulnerability.
The Judge agreed, ruling that by allowing a formally self-excluded user to keep depositing and placing large bets after the technical deadline for blocking had passed, the company breached its duty of safety and responsible gambling.
The Judge found the platform's failure to act worsened the consequences of the businessman's condition.
Sevenx Gaming told the court the ruling was unlawful, arguing it hadn't been properly notified and so couldn't present a defense, and separately claimed on appeal that it wasn't proven all the bets were placed after the regulatory deadline for implementing the block.
Recently, SPA revealed more than one million Brazilians have requested self-exclusion since the platform launched
