Germany launches campaign against payment processors

The state government of Lower Saxony has issued its first federal payment blocking order.

Germany.- Germany has kicked off its new campaign against online casino payment processors after the German state Lower Saxony ordered an international payment processor to suspend its operations with internationally licensed online casino operators engaging with German customers.

Minister of the Interior and Sport in Lower Saxony, Boris Pistorius, said the state government issued the order as part of its new temporary federal gambling treaty. Although Pistorius did not identify the provider, he said that it received a ban from doing business with operators offering online gambling services such as casino and lottery.

Pistorius said that he hopes that this ruling sends a message, as he believes that other payment providers are now under pressure to reorganise their businesses processes related to illegal gambling.

This comes after a German court ruled earlier this year that financial institutions are responsible for checking that their operations don’t facilitate illegal transactions.