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Att spela bort ett avtals giltighet – Om avtalslagens tillämpning på rättshandlingar avseende spel på nätkasino i ljuset av mål PMT 4156-21

Björkman Krantz, Olga LU (2024) LAGF03 20241
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract (Swedish)
I slutet av 2023 meddelade Patent- och marknadsöverdomstolen (PMÖD) dom i mål PMT 4156-21 (Betssondomen). Målet rör P.L., som var beroende av spel på nätkasino. P.L:s spelande var omfattande, och efter en tid utsåg spelbolaget honom till VIP-kund. I samband med det intensifierades den marknadsföring som spelbolaget riktade till honom. Efter att P.L. slutat spela stämde han spelbolaget och anförde att spelavtalen han slutit med spelbolaget skulle ogiltigförklaras med stöd av lag (1915:218) om avtal och andra rättshandlingar på förmögenhetsrättens område (avtalslagen). Uppsatsen syftar till att analysera Betssondomen för att kartlägga vad som krävs för att spelavtal ska kunna ogiltigförklaras enligt 33 § avtalslagen och hur domen förhåller... (More)
I slutet av 2023 meddelade Patent- och marknadsöverdomstolen (PMÖD) dom i mål PMT 4156-21 (Betssondomen). Målet rör P.L., som var beroende av spel på nätkasino. P.L:s spelande var omfattande, och efter en tid utsåg spelbolaget honom till VIP-kund. I samband med det intensifierades den marknadsföring som spelbolaget riktade till honom. Efter att P.L. slutat spela stämde han spelbolaget och anförde att spelavtalen han slutit med spelbolaget skulle ogiltigförklaras med stöd av lag (1915:218) om avtal och andra rättshandlingar på förmögenhetsrättens område (avtalslagen). Uppsatsen syftar till att analysera Betssondomen för att kartlägga vad som krävs för att spelavtal ska kunna ogiltigförklaras enligt 33 § avtalslagen och hur domen förhåller sig till omsorgsplikten i spellagen (2018:1138). I uppsatsen används rättsdogmatisk metod.
I Betssondomen tillämpar PMÖD 33 § avtalslagen för att ogiltigförklara de spelavtal som P.L. slutit efter att han gjordes till VIP-kund. Till grund för ogiltigförklaring av avtalen anförs att spelbolaget kände till P.L:s spelberoende och trots detta fortsatte att rikta intensiv marknadsföring till honom. Till följd av domen ska P.L. återfå de pengar han förlorat på spel hos bolaget under tiden han var VIP-kund. Spellagen är inte tillämplig i målet, men vid framtida situationer liknande P.L:s kan det tänkas att spellagen kan samverka med avtalslagen. Spellagen skulle då kunna fastslå en handlingsnorm för hur spelbolag bör agera, med 33 § avtalslagen som möjlig sanktion. I spellagen saknas i nuläget sanktioner som kan ge upphov till utfall motsvarande det i Betssondomen, där spelaren får tillbaka förlorade pengar. Det bör dock inte krävas brott mot spellagen för att avtalslagen ska kunna tillämpas i sådana fall, och tvärtom bör inte brott mot spellagen alltid medföra ogiltighet enligt avtalslagen.
Utöver ovanstående diskuteras även om spelberoende kan utgöra sådan psykisk svaghet som i tidigare praxis ansetts utgöra grund för tillämpning av 33 § avtalslagen. Det går inte att säkert fastställa om spelberoende i sig kan utgöra tillräcklig grund för tillämpning av 33 §, men med utgångspunkt i domen kan spelberoende utgöra en omständighet som, vid en helhetsbedömning, leder fram till ogiltighet enligt 33 § avtalslagen. (Less)
Abstract
In late 2023, the Patent and Market Court of Appeal pronounced judgment in case PMT 4156-21 (the Betsson case). The case concerns P.L., who used to suffer from gambling addiction. P.L. used to gamble intensely, and the gambling company decided to appoint him as a VIP customer. Subsequently, the company intensified its marketing efforts towards him. After P.L. had stopped gambling, he sued the company, arguing that the gambling agreements which he entered after becoming a VIP customer should be declared invalid under the Contracts Act (1915:218). The aim of this thesis is to analyse the Betsson case in order to determine what is required for gambling agreements to be declared invalid according to Section 33 of the Contracts Act.... (More)
In late 2023, the Patent and Market Court of Appeal pronounced judgment in case PMT 4156-21 (the Betsson case). The case concerns P.L., who used to suffer from gambling addiction. P.L. used to gamble intensely, and the gambling company decided to appoint him as a VIP customer. Subsequently, the company intensified its marketing efforts towards him. After P.L. had stopped gambling, he sued the company, arguing that the gambling agreements which he entered after becoming a VIP customer should be declared invalid under the Contracts Act (1915:218). The aim of this thesis is to analyse the Betsson case in order to determine what is required for gambling agreements to be declared invalid according to Section 33 of the Contracts Act. Furthermore, the thesis analyses how the Betsson case relates to the duty of care in the Gambling Act (2018:1138). The thesis utilises a legal dogmatic method.
In the Betsson case, the Patent and Market Court of Appeal applies Section 33 of the Contracts Act in order to invalidate the gambling agreements that P.L. entered after becoming a VIP customer. The basis for invaliding the contracts is the gambling company’s knowledge of P.L.’s gambling addiction in combination with the continued intensive marketing directed towards him. As a result of the verdict, P.L. is entitled to recover the money he lost during his time as a VIP customer. The Gambling Act is not applicable in the case, but in future situations similar to P.L.'s, it seems likely that the Gambling Act could interact with the Contracts Act. The Gambling Act could establish a standard of conduct for gambling companies, with Section 33 of the Contracts Act as a possible sanction. As of now, the Gambling Act lacks sanctions that could lead to outcomes equivalent to that in the Betsson case, where the player’s lost money is recovered. However, a violation of the Gambling Act should not be required for the Contracts Act to be applicable in such cases, and on the contrary, a violation of the Gambling Act should not always result in invalidity according to the Contracts Act.
In addition to the above, the thesis discusses whether a gambling addiction can constitute the kind of mental weakness that previously has been considered sufficient basis for application of Section 33 of the Contracts Act. It cannot be definitively established whether a gambling addiction on its own can provide sufficient grounds for applying Section 33, but based on the Betsson case, a gambling addiction can be one of the circumstances that, in an overall assessment, lead to invalidity under Section 33 of the Contracts Act. (Less)
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author
Björkman Krantz, Olga LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGF03 20241
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Avtalsrätt, förmögenhetsrätt, avtalslagen, spellagen
language
Swedish
id
9152370
date added to LUP
2024-06-26 11:38:30
date last changed
2024-06-26 11:38:30
@misc{9152370,
  abstract     = {{In late 2023, the Patent and Market Court of Appeal pronounced judgment in case PMT 4156-21 (the Betsson case). The case concerns P.L., who used to suffer from gambling addiction. P.L. used to gamble intensely, and the gambling company decided to appoint him as a VIP customer. Subsequently, the company intensified its marketing efforts towards him. After P.L. had stopped gambling, he sued the company, arguing that the gambling agreements which he entered after becoming a VIP customer should be declared invalid under the Contracts Act (1915:218). The aim of this thesis is to analyse the Betsson case in order to determine what is required for gambling agreements to be declared invalid according to Section 33 of the Contracts Act. Furthermore, the thesis analyses how the Betsson case relates to the duty of care in the Gambling Act (2018:1138). The thesis utilises a legal dogmatic method.
In the Betsson case, the Patent and Market Court of Appeal applies Section 33 of the Contracts Act in order to invalidate the gambling agreements that P.L. entered after becoming a VIP customer. The basis for invaliding the contracts is the gambling company’s knowledge of P.L.’s gambling addiction in combination with the continued intensive marketing directed towards him. As a result of the verdict, P.L. is entitled to recover the money he lost during his time as a VIP customer. The Gambling Act is not applicable in the case, but in future situations similar to P.L.'s, it seems likely that the Gambling Act could interact with the Contracts Act. The Gambling Act could establish a standard of conduct for gambling companies, with Section 33 of the Contracts Act as a possible sanction. As of now, the Gambling Act lacks sanctions that could lead to outcomes equivalent to that in the Betsson case, where the player’s lost money is recovered. However, a violation of the Gambling Act should not be required for the Contracts Act to be applicable in such cases, and on the contrary, a violation of the Gambling Act should not always result in invalidity according to the Contracts Act.
In addition to the above, the thesis discusses whether a gambling addiction can constitute the kind of mental weakness that previously has been considered sufficient basis for application of Section 33 of the Contracts Act. It cannot be definitively established whether a gambling addiction on its own can provide sufficient grounds for applying Section 33, but based on the Betsson case, a gambling addiction can be one of the circumstances that, in an overall assessment, lead to invalidity under Section 33 of the Contracts Act.}},
  author       = {{Björkman Krantz, Olga}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Att spela bort ett avtals giltighet – Om avtalslagens tillämpning på rättshandlingar avseende spel på nätkasino i ljuset av mål PMT 4156-21}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}