Gauselmann Group granted German sports betting licence

The group’s Cashpoint is the first company to receive a licence for sports betting in Germany.

Germany.- Cashpoint, a subsidiary of the internationally active Gauselmann Group, is the first company to have been granted a licence to host both online and land-based sports betting for the whole of Germany.

The Espelkamp-based company received the licence on October 9, 2020, from the Regional Council of Darmstadt. 

Markus Ettlin, who is responsible for the Gauselmann Group’s sports betting division, said: “We are delighted to be the first company to be able to offer our betting programme under a state licence to our sports-loving customers. After many years of legal limbo, binding rules now apply to everyone on the German sports betting market.” 

First and foremost, this strengthens consumer and player protection, Ettline said. “That is because now it is not only sports-loving customers but also politicians, authorities and society that can distinguish unauthorised providers from authorised ones,” he said. 

Company founder and Management Board spokesman, Paul Gauselmann, said he was thrilled about the licence having been granted.

He said: “Back in 2014, my corporate group more than satisfied all of the requirements for the first licensing process and emerged as number one from the examination of this extensive process. Unfortunately, it has taken until today to end this state of legal uncertainty. However, it gives me all the more pleasure that we are now finally the first to be license holders.” 

Ettlin added: “The future will now show the extent to which the state and the responsible regulatory authorities will protect licensed market participants, and thus also consumers, from illegal providers. We will, in any case, do our utmost to ensure that there is fair competition, which is ultimately in the interest of each consumer.”