The premise of the lawsuit is whether Tipico should refund wagers placed between 2013 and 2020, when the operator held a Malta-issued license but not a German one. Specifically, it relates to the compatibility of German gambling laws with wider EU regulations, and in particular, the outworking under Article 56 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
"Today's judgment confirms that member states cannot commodify EU citizenship and operate reckless golden passport programs. Countless cases have shown how these schemes have granted safe haven to corrupt actors from around the world..."