German court to hear challenge on sports betting location rules

Germany’s gambling legislation prohibits sports betting from being offered in the same building as a casino or gaming hall.

Germany.- A German court will hear a challenge brought by four gambling operators against Germany’s rules on the location of sports betting operations. Under German legislation, sports betting cannot be offered in the same building as a casino or gaming hall, but the operators are challenging that rule.

The operators argue that the legislation, specifically section 21 (2) of Germany’s interstate gambling treaty, failed to protect operators that had sports betting facilities in the same building as casino operations. The case will be heard by the Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart in the state of Baden-Württenberg in the south-west of the country on November 21.

Meanwhile, Germany has issued a flurry of online slot licences in recent months. There are now nine licences, with the latest going to Solar Operations Limited, which will operate at Sonnenspiele.de. The licence was granted by the Saxony-Anhalt state administration office, which remains responsible for licensing until the end of this year.

It’s the latest licence to be issued following a licence awarded to Jokerstar last week. Jokerstar’s licence was notable for the company being a newcomer to the scene. Germany’s tight regulations and high tax on online slots rate mean that so far most licensees have been connected to well-established land-based gaming operations.