Entain picks up German online gaming and poker licences

The FTSE 100-listed gambling operator has been granted five new licences in Germany.

Germany.- The UK-based gambling group Entain has gained five new licenses in Germany – its first for online gaming and poker. Granted by the Saxony-Anhalt State Administrative Office, the five-year licences will allow Entain’s bwin, Ladbrokes and SportingBet brands to offer online gaming.

Ladbrokes and bwin have also gained licences to offer online poker, making Entain the first operator to receive an online poker licence in Germany. Until now, Entain’s brands were only licensed to offer sports betting in the country, which legalised online gambling under new legislation that was finally approved in July 2021.

Entain chief governance officer Robert Hoskin said: “We’re delighted to now have our licences for gaming and poker services in the regulated German market, enabling us to offer and market them to our customers. It is an important and welcome step towards achieving the goal of a fully regulated online betting and gaming market in Germany.

“Only through such regulation and its enforcement will we avoid the reality of customers going to the black market where there are none of the safeguards that reputable operators such as Entain guarantee.”

Earlier this mont, the Sachsen-Anhalt state administration office granted its first online slots licence, which went to a state-owned casino operator. It granted Germany’s 13th online slots licence to Sächsische Spielbanken, the state-run monopoly land-based casino operator in Sachsen (Saxony).

Sächsische Spielbanken will offer online slots nationally at Sachsenlotto.de. Online gambling was legalised in Germany in July 2021. This is the latest online slots licence following recent approvals for Interwetten and Novomatic’s Admiral, Tipico and Rootz brands.