SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has welcomed the progress made on Germany’s new draft state treaty for gambling regulation, but has urged the gambling authorities to reconsider some of the proposals made.
The proposals made which have focused upon consumer protection, state tax revenues and regulatory oversight of gambling have been backed by the EGBA.
However, it emphasised that some of the proposals made in the current draft treaty, such as the imposition of advertising restrictions, curbs on player account activity and live betting restrictions ‘would be detrimental and counterproductive to the intentions of the regulation’.
Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA, commented: “This is a positive development towards bringing Germany’s gambling regulation into the 21st century. The challenge will be to deliver a new regulation which is fit for the digital age we live in, which provides a safer gambling environment for consumers and enables a well-regulated and well-channelled market.
“We look forward to providing formal comments to the proposals in due course and continuing a constructive dialogue with the German authorities.”
The new treaty, if agreed at the Minister-Presidents meeting on 5 March, would replace the existing second state treaty and come into force on 1 July, 2021.
It aims to regulate Germany’s gambling activity in an effective way and ensure gambling activity takes place within the legal, regulated gambling environment, particularly in the online sector.
Despite German treaty reforms, the EU has continually rejected Germany’s regulatory framework, underlining that German online gambling maintains restrictive business conditions as Schleswig-Holstein chose to limit operator licensing – deemed an infringement upon foreign competition.
