An Austrian court has ordered Novamatic to pay 2.5 million euros (US$2.87million) to a gambler the court found was under the influence of addiction, in a judgment made public on Monday.

The complainant said that over a period of ten years starting in 2002 he spent around $2.3 million euros in slot machines run by Novomatic in the capital Vienna.

According to an expert opinion heard by the court in the town of Wiener Neustadt, the man was “partially incapacitated” through his addiction, which rendered his bets invalid.

Novomatic will appeal the fine.

This ruling makes no reference to the online gaming sector.