Does Germany’s new government have a shot at tackling illegal gambling?

By Imogen Goodman, iGB

Imogen Goodman considers how a federal intervention from Germany’s new coalition government could improve the sector’s fight against illegal gambling.

In their coalition pact released on 9 April, the incoming government in Germany set itself another ambitious goal: tackling the rampant illegal gambling sector.  

“Together with the federal states, we will improve the fight against illegal gambling,” the parties write on page 92. A brief statement, but in the eyes of many industry spectators, one that could prove significant.  

Germany’s new government has a daunting task ahead of it when it enters office on 6 May. In recent years, the country’s economy has been buckling under the weight of numerous structural problems, from an aging population to endless red tape.

Together, the centre-right alliance of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) are tasked with getting the country back on its feet.

So far, the parties have set out a range of plans to do just that: a €500 billion infrastructure fund, a bonfire of bureaucracy, incentives for employees to work overtime and cuts in corporation tax from 2028. 

Read the whole article on iGB

Could the ECJ signal an end to player losses cases in Germany?

By Nicole Macedo, iGB

A European Court of Justice (ECJ) hearing that started on 9 April threatens to dismantle the player losses cases model in Germany.

German and Austrian regional courts have processed upwards of 20,000 cases brought by players seeking to retrieve losses from gambling companies, prior to the current State Treaty on Gambling, which came into force in 2021. But today a number of these player losses cases have reached the ECJ, as they have raised broader questions of whether German regulations contradict European law.

These player losses cases, first brought to regional court in 2018, have questioned German gambling law under the previous treaty, but thousands have been settled either in or out of court over the years.

Read the whole article on iGB

Player Refund Saga Set for Major Test in Europe’s Top Court

The first of three pivotal cases, which could wreck or restart thousands of German player refund claims, will be heard next month at Europe’s highest court.

Read the whole VIXIO article here.

Online gambling in Germany: What to expect in 2025

By iGB

Dr Wulf Hambach and Phillip Beumer from Hambach & Hambach share their thoughts on player claims cases and regulatory adjustments, two key challenges in Germany today.

When the Interstate Treaty on Gambling (Glücksspielstaatsvertrag) came into force in Germany on 1 July 2021, it was presented as a turning point for the regulation of online gambling. Daniel Hagemeier, a member of the governing CDU party in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), highlighted its importance by stating:

“The Interstate Gambling Treaty and our implementation in NRW must strike a balance between state regulation and freedom. We must protect people with a high potential for addiction from the temptations of gambling, but respect the freedom of each individual to gamble if they so wish. Our aim is not to demonise gambling and drive it into obscurity, but to channel it.”

Now, nearly four years later, this balance remains elusive. The treaty has succeeded in creating a legal framework, but its implementation is fraught with challenges. In 2025, the focus is on two critical areas shaping the online gambling sector: Player claims and regulatory adjustments.

Read the whole article on iGB

SiGMA Advertising Panel: European Gaming Lawyers Frustrated With Ad Restrictions

• Gaming lawyers shared their frustrations during an advertising panel at SiGMA
• A Netherlands lawyer said he expects the country could implement a blanket ad ban
• Dr Hambach said ad limits are shrinking the legal German market, aiding illegal sites

Industry experts have had their say on the impact of gaming advertising restrictions in Europe during a SiGMA panel discussion this week in Malta.

Tuesday’s panel, named ‘The Ongoing Impact of Advertising Restrictions,’ featured representatives from law firms that work with gaming companies in the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark. All of them agreed that excessive advertising restrictions would only harm gaming customers by growing black market business.

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Please read the full article by Owain Flanders at www.vegasslostsonline.com.

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