Case C‑568/16

Criminal proceedings

against

Faiz Rasool

(Request for a preliminary ruling from the Amtsgericht Nürtingen)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling — Payment services — Directive 2007/64/EC — Article 3(e) and (o) — Article 4(3) — Annex — Point 2 — Scope — Operation of multifunctional terminals enabling cash withdrawals in gaming arcades — Consistency of the practice of the national authorities in bringing prosecutions — Confiscation of sums obtained by means of an unlawful activity — Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union — Article 17)

Summary — Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber), 22 March 2018

Approximation of laws — Payment services in the internal market — Directive 2007/64 — Payment service — Definition — Cash withdrawal service offered by a gaming arcade operator to customers by means of multifunctional terminals in the arcade — Not included

(European Parliament and Council Directive 2007/64, Art. 4(3), and Annex, point 2)

Article 4(3) of Directive 2007/64/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 November 2007 on payment services in the internal market amending Directives 97/7/EC, 2002/65/EC, 2005/60/EC and 2006/48/EC and repealing Directive 97/5/EC, read in conjunction with point 2 of the annex to the directive, must be interpreted as meaning that a cash withdrawal service offered by a gaming arcade operator to his customers by means of multifunctional terminals in those arcades is not a ‘payment service’ within the meaning of that directive, where the operator does not carry out any operation on those customers’ payment accounts and the activities he performs on that occasion are confined to making the terminals available and loading them with cash.

(see para. 39, operative part)