Legislation
Germany – North Rhine-Westphalia to launch tender for five online gaming licences
By Phil - 22 February 2022
The approval of online casino games has now been legally regulated in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia with the Düsseldorf state parliament signing in legislation to allow a maximum of five concessions to be granted to different providers in NRW.
The move ended the state monopoly was renounced with CDU and FDP voting for the amendment whilst the SPD and Greens voted against it with the AfD abstaining. Those who voted against claimed the law does not meet the requirements for youth and player protection.
NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) said: “The law has been notified before the EU Commission. No objections have been raised. The state parliament committees did not reveal any fundamental problems with the draft law.”
The new state treaty on gambling came into force in Germany in July, paving the way for online casinos, although the structuring of the regulation lies with the federal states.
