Operator News
Lower Saxony Ministry of Finance extends Spielbanken Niedersachsen’s ten casino licences
By Phil - 17 June 2024
The Lower Saxony Ministry of Finance has granted Spielbanken Niedersachsen GmbH (SNG) interim approval to operate the ten casinos for the period from September 1 2024 to August 31 2025.
Against the backdrop of ongoing legal proceedings, SNG was thus able to ensure that employees, guests and the company have a secure perspective even after 01.09.2024.
The Managing Director of SNG, Max Rösle, welcomed the decision by the Ministry of Finance to grant an interim concession in favour of SNG. SNG was able to prevail in the tender process with 160 out of 160 possible points against its competitor MSBN, a company of the Merkur Group (until 2023: Gauselmann Group).
“The decision of the Ministry of Finance in favor of SNG gives our employees security and peace of mind for further steps. At the same time, the choice of SNG as interim concessionaire shows the excellent quality of the work we do in our ten casinos for Lower Saxony.”
The result of the tender will have to be assessed in the pending court proceedings. Depending on the outcome, the interim approval can be terminated prematurely or put out to tender again.
The SNG sees the award of the interim licence as confirmation that it rightly doubts the result of the tender for the casino licence in 2023 and has it reviewed by the courts. In the opinion of the SNG, the assessments in the original concession procedure are not comprehensible and are still not transparent today.
This decision is an important step for the more than 400 employees at ten locations in Lower Saxony, whose jobs are secured for the term of the interim concession. Likewise, the channelling obligation of the state of Lower Saxony under the Interstate Treaty on Gambling is fully complied with.
Spielbanken Niedersachsen GmbH is the sole provider of ten state-licensed casinos in the state. The company employs around 400 people who have set themselves the goal of meeting the demands and expectations of their guests and offering gambling in an entertaining and exciting way, but also safe and of high quality.
