Legislation

Germany – Landesmedienanstalt Saarland blocks two online gaming companies from advertising

Landesmedienanstalt Saarland (LMS), the media and gambling regulator for the German state of Saarland has taken steps to ban two online gaming operators licensed in Schleswig-Holstein from advertising their websites in the state.

The LMS became the first gaming supervisory authority to issue prohibitions against two market-strong providers of online casino games with a license from the state of Schleswig-Holstein on the basis of the applicable State Treaty on Gaming. These prohibit the two providers from advertising in Saarland for public gambling that is not permitted on the Internet in Saarland.

Schleswig-Holstein itself had promised to limit the advertising of these offers when its online casino licenses were revived. In particular, providers with a Schleswig-Holstein license should pay attention to the proportionality of such advertising in the form of nationwide receivable means of communication for regional commercial communication. In practice, from the LMS point of view, this limitation is no longer noticeable: TV advertising for gaming options at these online casinos takes place in a far too large number of private TV programs – and that even at times of day when children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable.

The director of the LMS, Ruth Meyer, said in this connection: “The LMS has therefore decided to take steps so that the goal of combating gambling addiction, particularly in corona times, is not jeopardised by Schleswig-Holstein going it alone under the current State Treaty on Gaming “.

LMS Deputy Director Dr. Jörg Ukrow added: “TV advertising for online casinos appears around far too many programmes and even at times of day when children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable.”