Court Orders Bet365 to Pay Compensation to 23 Danish Athletes

The Maritime and Commercial High Court of Denmark has ordered Hillside, the owner of Bet365, to pay compensation to 23 Danish athletes for using their names and images without permission.

Hillside has to pay 4.7 million Danish crowns ($697,000) to the athletes, including soccer star Christian Eriksen, badminton player and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen, football player Simon Kjaer and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

Manchester United midfielder Eriksen, whose image was used the most frequently according to the plaintiffs, was awarded the largest sum amounting to 1.45 million crowns.

While Bet365 had argued that its use of names and images should be regarded as editorial content, and was therefore not subject to payments, the court found instead that it amounted to marketing that required consent.