Udo Götze named as new chair of German gambling regulator
Götze will replace Jorg Sibbel at the chair of the GGL.
Germany.- The German gambling regulator Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) has named Udo Götze as its new chair. He will replace Jorg Sibbel from July 1.
The German regulator only became fully functional in January but its regulations state that a new chair must take over on July 1 every year. Germany’s 16 federal states take turns choosing the chair. Götze is a state secretary at the Ministry of the Interior and Municipal Affairs in the Free State of Thuringia.
Sibbel said: ‘I see the chairman in a good position to be able to carry out the tasks assigned in issuing permits and combating illegal gambling offers on the internet, which is already clearly evident in the ongoing implementation. Colleagues in the GGL have the fullest trust of all sponsoring states.”
Götze said: “All 16 countries support the GGL with conviction. Regulating the transnational gambling market in Germany is a challenging task. The GGL can also be sure of the support of the sponsoring states under the chairmanship of the state of Thuringia.”
The German gambling regulator’s powers
The GGL took over regulatory duties for Germany’s new federal gambling market from its host state of Saxony-Anhalt on January 1. This week, the Higher Administrative Court of Saxony-Anhalt ruled that the regulator has the power to enforce rules and impose penalties for breaches of advertising laws.
Some online casino operators had complained about the regulator’s approach. However, the court has ruled that the GGL’s ancillary provisions are legal, allowing it to enforce bans on gambling advertising by social media streamers and influencers, infomercials, marketing of social casino games and marketing with affiliates that link to unlicensed gambling sites.
