Anyone who regularly plays the lottery here should bear in mind, when submitting their ticket online, that there is virtually no turning back, even if the ticket has not yet participated in any draw.
In certain sectors, including in Germany, the right of withdrawal is restricted by the legislature. Consequently, finalized betting slips or lottery tickets can no longer be cancelled. The legal basis for this is Section 312g, Paragraph 2, No. 12 of the German Civil Code (BGB), which stipulates that the right of withdrawal is excluded in cases where the consumer has submitted their contractual declaration by telephone or where the contract was concluded outside of business premises.
Upon acceptance of the game or betting slip, the contract is deemed to have been concluded. It can be revoked only rarely, if at all. Moreover, the providers' General Terms and Conditions frequently already draw attention to such an exclusion of the right of withdrawal.
Inside and outside business premises
Well, one’s home PC, smartphone, or tablet certainly does not constitute business premises. However, a contract concluded online is not, in legal terms, an "off-premises contract." Rather, it is a contract established as a "distance contract." And it is precisely this category that is being distinguished from here. While the lottery outlet at the nearest kiosk definitely qualifies as business premises, the term "off-premises contract" - as used in this context - refers to an agreement concluded at the front door, on the street, during a visit by a sales representative, or exclusively over the telephone. In the context of lottery and other betting providers, the online transaction constitutes the binding acceptance of the wager, thereby rendering the contract irrevocable.
Consequently, anyone who submits a betting slip online in error, or submits a duplicate, is left to bear the consequences of this blunder and is rarely able to cancel the slip. Granting such a request would be a gesture of goodwill on the part of the provider, who, however, will naturally prefer to cite the relevant terms and conditions and refuse the cancellation. Once a betting slip has been accepted by the provider, a refund or cancellation is strictly ruled out.