Schleswig-Holstein votes Interstate Treaty down

The Schleswig-Holstein government has voted against the amended German Interstate Treaty that would legalise online gambling.

Germany.- Online gambling is, according to experts, the future of the industry and that’s why most countries are trying to regulate the segment. However, Germany’s attempt to pass an Interstate Treaty has hit a setback after the Schleswig-Holstein authorities voted against the legislation.

The Interstate Treaty dates back to 2012 and prooposes the legalization and regulation of online sports betting services in Germany. However, the new law (which needed to be approved by all 16 German states) got contested by operators as it set a 20 online sports betting licenses cap. According to the European Commision, said cap violated its principles for free distribution of services.

EU’s decision led to an amendment to the Treaty that extended the cap to 40 licenses instead of 20. This change failed to satisfy Schleswig-Holstein politicians as they consider it still violates EU laws, in addition to their concerns over responsible gambling not being addressed in the legislative piece. They also have pointed out that Germany should regulate online gambling options.

As the Schleswig-Holstein voted against the amendment and it needs approval from all 16 states in the country to get implemented, it’s still uncertain what will happen with online gambling in Germany.