Gamblers who lost thousands of euros using online casinos operating illegally in the Netherlands are heading to court in an effort to get back their money.

Two groups representing punters are now embroiled in class action cases against online gambling firms, following a legal ruling in April. In that case, judges ordered two online gambling companies to reimburse two punters for their losses, because they did not have a licence to operate in the Netherlands.

The April case was the first time a Dutch court had ordered an unlicenced company to hand money back to players. In each case, the player had lost around €200,000 and the ruling, lawyer Benzi Loonstein told reporters at the time, was “ground-breaking”. The Supreme Court is expected to finalise its say on the case early next year.

One of the two mass claims centres on foundation Gokverliesterug which is demanding companies pay back the losses of Dutch consumers booked before October 2021.

“Many foreign online casinos ignored Dutch rules for years, assuming they would not get caught,” lawyer Koen Rutten, who represents Gokverliesterug said in a press statement.  “They have to be held to account for that period, even though they now have licences.”

The second mass claim is being steered by Loonstein Advocaten, who won the earlier case. More than 20,000 people have reportedly signed up for that claim.

Online gambling was forbidden in the Netherlands up to three years ago but was widely ignored by companies such as Unibet, Bet365, Bwin and Pokerstars.

The Netherlands legalised it in October 2021 in a move that addiction experts now say has had a “devastating effect”. In total, 27 companies offering 37 different labels now have a licence to operate.

Tens of thousands of people have been hit by financial problems as a result of the way online gambling was legalised three years ago, the national watchdog on addiction warned earlier this year.