A number of online sportsbook sites won a complaint brought against them by the French Tennis Federation in a Belgian Court. The French Tennis Federation tried to prevent online sportsbook sites, such as Bwin, Ladbrokes and Betfair to take out bets on central tennis events. However, the Belgian court did not agree with the plaintiff and rejected the case. The betting sites will still be able to take out bets on the French Open and the Paris Masters 2008.
The complaint against the online sportsbook sites was brought on by the latest events in Tennis sport, where players were accused of match fixing. The French Tennis federation claimed that the betting market exploits the good name of these central tennis tournaments. They therefore wished to put a stop to the influence of online sportsbook betting and the temptation for the players to make easy money. As a result they demanded a total ban on online betting, and an annulment of bets already made on the sportsbooks.
The online sportsbook sites retaliated by arguing that they could not be held responsible for the acts of individual players, with whom the online sportsbook had no connection at all, and that fixed matches are not caused by the betting sites but by the players involved. Likewise, they claimed that others inappropriate use of their service is not their responsibility, as long as they have taken steps to prevent it. After having won the case, Bwin now counter-sues the French Tennis Federation for damages and liabilities, caused by the Federation's claims that Bwin's actions facilitated fraud.
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