European Commission Warns Germany Over Gambling LawGermany Given Two Years To Test New Legislative Framework |
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Online gaming companies have expressed disappointment that a European Commission opinion on Germany’s new state-level gambling treaty has failed to recommend a more liberal regime.
While the Commission was critical of the new treaty, which has been adopted by 15 of Germany’s 16 states, saying its current rules “may render it difficult to provide an economically viable” business model, it has given Germany two years to test the new rules before it may again intervene.
Martin Cruddace, chief legal officer at Betfair told Reuters, “The proposals contravene fundamental EU free market principles and it is only right that the Commission acts to prevent member states from enacting legislation designed to keep local monopolies in and the competition out."
Online gaming operators had hoped the Commission would fall more forcefully on the side of their favoured option which is the adoption of a more liberal regime to be implemented by the one state not part of the larger treaty, Schleswig-Holstein.
The Commission did welcome revised aspects of the 15-state treaty such as increasing the number of licenses to 20.
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