Germany on brink of federal sports betting regulation
Country's regional leaders ditch contentious licence cap and announce plans to include online casino
The German online gambling market could soon open up after state leaders agreed to remove the contentious cap on the number of sports betting licences and potentially re-regulate online casino.
The leaders of the 16 German states said on Friday they had reached a provisional agreement to abolish the licence limit, claiming they should be awarded “on the basis of qualitative minimum standards”.
Germany issued 20 sportsbook licences in September 2014 but court challenges from left-out operators meant the licensing framework never came into effect. Operators claimed it was anti-competitive to limit the number of market participants.
However, German-facing firms are still in the dark about how quickly the expanded licences could be issued.
An Interwetten spokesperson told EGR this morning: “It remains to be seen how and when the latest decisions will be implemented.”
German gaming lawyer Martin Arendts said any official amendment to the current Interstate Treaty on Gambling “will take quite a lot of time” since all 16 state parliaments would have to consent to the amendment.
The draft would also have to be approved by the European Commission.
The regions also said they would look into better regulation of online casino, following their annual conference in Warnemünde last week.
Specifically they will look at the experience of other European companies who have recently re-regulated online gaming, in an effort to better protect consumers and shrink the black market.
The newly-formed German Online Casino Association (DOCV) welcomed the announcement, with president Dr Dirk Quermann adding: “It is a good sign that the participants have recognized the realities of a digital and networked market, and now we need to regulate this market quickly.
“We need a regulation of online casino offers according to a qualitative criteria. There needs to be a channelling of demand to the serious suppliers, which can guarantee reliable protection and prevention measures.”
The new regulation would also come with increased player controls, with the regions calling for 1,000 loss limits and the creation of a national problem gambler database.