The owner of online gambling service Bet365 has been told by Denmark's maritime and commercial court to pay compensation to Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen and 22 other athletes for using their names and photos on social media without consent.
Malta-based Hillside Plc, which owns the online gambling site, was ordered to pay 4.7 million Danish crowns (£548,221.10) to the 23 athletes, including Simon Kjaer and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, son of former United player Peter Schmeichel, on Monday (May 8).
The court verdict shows that Eriksen has been awarded the largest amount in compensation and is set to be paid 1.45 million crowns (£169,094.62), Reuters reports.
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Bet365 claimed that its use of names and photographs should be considered editorial content and should not be subject to fees; nonetheless, the court determined that it amounted to marketing and required permission.
Insider Sport reports that, in a statement, Bet365 has countered the court’s ruling, citing that the athletes’ names and images have been used for marketing purposes without consent by maintaining that they have been utilised as editorial content under fair use, and therefore this does not go against the Danish law.
Eriksen joined United on a free transfer last summer following a six-month spell at Premier League rivals Brentford. That move came following his release by Inter Milan after his cardiac arrest while playing for Denmark against Finland at Euro 2020.
The midfielder was subsequently handed the Comeback of the Year prize at the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards on Monday night following his return to professional sport after the incident.
The Manchester Evening News has approached Bet365 for comment.
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