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- Gambling Authority Germany News
- Gambling Authority Germany International
- Gambling Supervision Authority Germany
- Gambling Authority Germany Coronavirus
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- New gambling legislation in Germany extends the trial period of sports betting licenses into 2021
- It also raises the cap on the number of licenses the authorities can issue
- This bill has been approved by the prime ministers of the country's 16 federal states
- Some parties believe this bill does not do enough to reform Germany's gambling scene
Details of this gambling treaty
In early March, a new gambling bill was published in Germany, completely changing the way the country deals with sports betting licenses. It would require an identical approach to gambling in all 16 of the country's federal states.
On 13 August 2019 the competent gambling licensing authority of Hesse, the Darmstadt Regional Council, held an informational meeting on the upcoming 2020 sports betting licensing procedure in Germany. While state Minister-Presidents have signed the Treaty, it must still be ratified by Germany's 16 member states before it can come into law, which must happen by 31 December, 2019. The legislation limits the market in 15 states to sports betting, with a €1,000 monthly spending limit in place for all customers and licensees subject to a 5%. Germany's online sports gambling licensing authority, the Darmstadt Regional Council (DRC), representing the state of Hesse, has sent out word to its licensees that they must shut down any online.
This legislation is known as the Third German State Treaty on Gambling. Its goal is to amend the Interstate Treaty on Gambling.
One of the key aspects of this new bill is extending the trial period for those who want to open a gambling business in the country. There were 20 operators in this trial and the expiration date was June 30. In previous times, all games of chance were offered by the state monopoly.
A trial period was set up to see how introducing competition would affect the market. This new bill calls will extend this trial period for another couple of years, to June 30, 2021. Some are even calling for the extension to go on for an additional three years beyond that, bringing it up to June 30, 2024.
There would also no longer be a cap on the number of licenses in the sector. The licensing authority could issue as many licenses as it wants for both retail and online gambling. Also, certain aspects of the rules and regulations for sports betting were clarified.
Gambling Authority Germany News
Payment providers are given more clear-cut guidance. Sports organizations have more direction as to how they should deal with sports betting. There are even guidelines for the media as part of this bill.
Online casinos
There is no mention of online casinos in this legislation. One of the states, Schleswig-Holstein, already issues online casino licenses. About 24 licenses were issued by the northern state in 2012. There are talks of an extension for these licenses until June 30, 2021.
The license expiration date has come and gone, but it will now be extended until 2021 with this federal stopgap treaty. The states are happy with this new treaty because it recognizes their right to pursue legal online casinos, as long as they provide 'a legally sound base that guarantees security of cash flows while protecting the consumer against data misuse and addiction.'
Result of the vote
There was a vote on this bill on March 21 during an interstate conference of the prime ministers from all 16 federal states.
The ministers approved the measure. This means that the big decision about the permanent makeup of the gambling sector in Germany will not have to be dealt with for another couple of years.
The conference in Berlin resulted in the extension until June 30, 2021. Operators will be able to apply forlicenses at some stage during 2019, and the new licenses will be valid starting on January 1, 2020.
The European Commission still needs to approve the measure. The EC has not always been forthcoming when it comes to the liberalization of gambling in Germany. While there is no longer a cap on the number of licenses they can issue, there is still no allowance for online casinos.
The German Sports Betting Association is not happy with the new bill. The organization says that the structural deficits of the last treaty were not addressed and wants negotiations to continue for a fundamental reform of gambling regulation in the country.
The continuing ban on live betting is particularly irksome. This is a market that usually makes up a significant percentage of the total bets on sporting events. The monthly cap of €1,000 (£858) on bettors will also not go down too well.
Some of those in the lottery space in Germany believe not enough is being done to deal with offshore online gambling operators who specifically target people in Germany. They are calling for harsher measures against those operators.
Gambling advertising ban
Another significant move in 2019 for the German gambling sector is a national ban on radio and television advertising of gambling. A letter sent on February 25 from the Media Authority of Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein to broadcasters discusses the ban, which kicks in immediately.
There is no need for legislation on this ban. Most networks are complying with it. Those who have not done so to date could face administrative action if they continue to resist. Despite the federal treaty being a good thing for the gambling sector in Germany, many see this ban on gambling advertising as being a backward step.
Online gambling is mostly outlawed in Germany. We say
'mostly' because Germany is one of those places where it's
definitely illegal to host a gaming site, but the legality of
just placing bets online is unclear. A certain interpretation of
German law could classify the act of placing a bet online as
illegal, but the authorities appear to have no interest in
reading or enforcing the law in that manner.
One thing we can tell you for certain is that online gambling
is popular in Germany. More importantly, not a single German has
ever gotten in trouble placing a bet over the internet. The
legal battles in that country mostly revolve around the right of
operators to offer their services to the public.
Gambling Authority Germany International
Where to Play Online
Any Germans reading this should look to gambling sites based
out of the country. Current national law doesn't allow for the
licensing of casino sites, so people resort to foreign
operators. Companies based outside of Germany aren't beholden
to German law and can therefore accept wagers from anyone inside
the country.
The main thing to remember when dealing with foreign
operators is that you have no legal recourse under German law if
something happens to your money. It's best to stick with
gambling sites that are licensed by reputable jurisdictions such
as the UK or the Isle of Man. Equally important is the
reputation of each site in terms of paying players and hosting
honest games.
Stick with the places recommended here to ensure your safety
and get paid when you win. These are some of the biggest names
in the global gaming market, and they are as legit as any
brick-and-mortar casino in Germany.
Gambling Supervision Authority Germany
German Law is in a State of Flux
This legislation is known as the Third German State Treaty on Gambling. Its goal is to amend the Interstate Treaty on Gambling.
One of the key aspects of this new bill is extending the trial period for those who want to open a gambling business in the country. There were 20 operators in this trial and the expiration date was June 30. In previous times, all games of chance were offered by the state monopoly.
A trial period was set up to see how introducing competition would affect the market. This new bill calls will extend this trial period for another couple of years, to June 30, 2021. Some are even calling for the extension to go on for an additional three years beyond that, bringing it up to June 30, 2024.
There would also no longer be a cap on the number of licenses in the sector. The licensing authority could issue as many licenses as it wants for both retail and online gambling. Also, certain aspects of the rules and regulations for sports betting were clarified.
Gambling Authority Germany News
Payment providers are given more clear-cut guidance. Sports organizations have more direction as to how they should deal with sports betting. There are even guidelines for the media as part of this bill.
Online casinos
There is no mention of online casinos in this legislation. One of the states, Schleswig-Holstein, already issues online casino licenses. About 24 licenses were issued by the northern state in 2012. There are talks of an extension for these licenses until June 30, 2021.
The license expiration date has come and gone, but it will now be extended until 2021 with this federal stopgap treaty. The states are happy with this new treaty because it recognizes their right to pursue legal online casinos, as long as they provide 'a legally sound base that guarantees security of cash flows while protecting the consumer against data misuse and addiction.'
Result of the vote
There was a vote on this bill on March 21 during an interstate conference of the prime ministers from all 16 federal states.
The ministers approved the measure. This means that the big decision about the permanent makeup of the gambling sector in Germany will not have to be dealt with for another couple of years.
The conference in Berlin resulted in the extension until June 30, 2021. Operators will be able to apply forlicenses at some stage during 2019, and the new licenses will be valid starting on January 1, 2020.
The European Commission still needs to approve the measure. The EC has not always been forthcoming when it comes to the liberalization of gambling in Germany. While there is no longer a cap on the number of licenses they can issue, there is still no allowance for online casinos.
The German Sports Betting Association is not happy with the new bill. The organization says that the structural deficits of the last treaty were not addressed and wants negotiations to continue for a fundamental reform of gambling regulation in the country.
The continuing ban on live betting is particularly irksome. This is a market that usually makes up a significant percentage of the total bets on sporting events. The monthly cap of €1,000 (£858) on bettors will also not go down too well.
Some of those in the lottery space in Germany believe not enough is being done to deal with offshore online gambling operators who specifically target people in Germany. They are calling for harsher measures against those operators.
Gambling advertising ban
Another significant move in 2019 for the German gambling sector is a national ban on radio and television advertising of gambling. A letter sent on February 25 from the Media Authority of Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein to broadcasters discusses the ban, which kicks in immediately.
There is no need for legislation on this ban. Most networks are complying with it. Those who have not done so to date could face administrative action if they continue to resist. Despite the federal treaty being a good thing for the gambling sector in Germany, many see this ban on gambling advertising as being a backward step.
Online gambling is mostly outlawed in Germany. We say
'mostly' because Germany is one of those places where it's
definitely illegal to host a gaming site, but the legality of
just placing bets online is unclear. A certain interpretation of
German law could classify the act of placing a bet online as
illegal, but the authorities appear to have no interest in
reading or enforcing the law in that manner.
One thing we can tell you for certain is that online gambling
is popular in Germany. More importantly, not a single German has
ever gotten in trouble placing a bet over the internet. The
legal battles in that country mostly revolve around the right of
operators to offer their services to the public.
Gambling Authority Germany International
Where to Play Online
Any Germans reading this should look to gambling sites based
out of the country. Current national law doesn't allow for the
licensing of casino sites, so people resort to foreign
operators. Companies based outside of Germany aren't beholden
to German law and can therefore accept wagers from anyone inside
the country.
The main thing to remember when dealing with foreign
operators is that you have no legal recourse under German law if
something happens to your money. It's best to stick with
gambling sites that are licensed by reputable jurisdictions such
as the UK or the Isle of Man. Equally important is the
reputation of each site in terms of paying players and hosting
honest games.
Stick with the places recommended here to ensure your safety
and get paid when you win. These are some of the biggest names
in the global gaming market, and they are as legit as any
brick-and-mortar casino in Germany.
Gambling Supervision Authority Germany
German Law is in a State of Flux
The difficulty in analyzing the German market is that the
laws have experienced a great deal of turbulence in recent
times. Adding to the confusion is the ability of each state to
regulate gambling how it sees fit.
Germany is a mix of wide-reaching national laws and more
limited state laws. Some forms of betting are allowed in some
states while others are banned in others. It's also apparent
that incoming governors are not afraid to completely reverse
gaming laws enacted by their predecessors.
Up until 2008, online gambling was unregulated in Germany.
The laws at the time didn't address the internet in any way.
Things changed when the Interstate Treaty on Gambling (ISTG) was
passed in 2008. This effectively banned all forms of online
gambling other than sports betting and horse racing offered by
state-owned entities.
All 16 states initially joined the treaty. The state of
Schleswig-Holstein opted out in 2012 and even issued licenses to
about 3 dozen operators, including PokerStars and 888. It would
not last for long. The move was reversed just a year later when
the state government was voted out of office and the new
governor took over.
Gambling Authority Germany Coronavirus
The good news for the operators that went through the trouble
of getting licensed is their 6-year licenses remain in effect.
All operators who earned licenses are able to provide real money
casino games and poker to players inside the state of
Schleswig-Holstein until 2018.
As things stand now, online gambling is largely outlawed
across Germany with the exception of the two dozen or so operators
who have licenses to operate in Schleswig-Holstein. There are no
other legal gaming sites in Germany, and there's no way to
obtain a license to offer games.
Gambling Authority Germany Jobs
German gaming laws violate EU rules regarding free trade and
competition. The EU has chastised Germany for its harsh stance
on gambling, but Germany seems destined to keep things as they
are for the time being. In the meantime, we would like to point
you to any of the safe and reputable gaming sites mentioned on
this site.
