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Germany – Sportsbetting treaty ‘falls short’ warns German association

By - 20 March 2017

The German Sports Betting Association (DSWV) has said the approval of a new federal gambling treaty was a ‘small step in the right direction’ but has warned that it ‘falls short’ of achieving what it should do.

Last week, Germany’s 16 states gave the green light to the new gambling treaty.

Due to take effect from January 2018, the State Treaty on Gambling removes the cap on the number of sports betting licences. It will also introduce tougher action against illegal operators, as well as the possibility of legalising online casino gambling activities in the future.

The European Commission (EC) has already slammed the treaty saying it is ‘not a viable solution.’ It has said that Germany must speed up the legalisation of other online gaming formats in order to help provide better consumer protection.

DSWV President Mathias Dahms said: “The minimally invasive revision of the treaty is a small step in the right direction, but it falls short. The restrictive regulations for sports betting operators derive from an outdated monopoly system and have not been capable of creating an attractive and legal range of games. If a number of consumers continue to make use of black market products, then neither addiction nor youth and consumer protection can be ensured.”

“We are only at the beginning of a much-needed reform process,” he added. “The present regulations are out of date in many areas. The test orders decided by the Prime Minister concerning the development of the regulation certainly help, but require the involvement of the companies concerned.”

Member operator mybet said it ‘welcomes the efforts to regulate the German market in total.’
“As a member of the DSWV the company supports the offer by the association to start a dialogue with politicians to develop a mutually satisfactory sustainable solution,” it said.

Mr. Dahms added: “The experience of our members in other European countries shows that successful regulation exists only where providers and authorities cooperate confidently and work together for the environment. We are available at any time for this type of co-operation.”

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