iGB Affiliate 89_Q1 2022 | Page 67

slots were ‘ tolerated ’ in 15 federal states , while Schleswig-Holstein permitted regulated sports betting , horse race betting , poker , casino and bingo . From that date , a new State Treaty on Gambling has established a federal regulatory framework for online slots , poker and sports betting . OPERATOR TYPE : Horse race betting licences are available at a regional level . Sports betting licences can be applied for by private operators as of 1 January 2020 . Since 1 July 2021 , private operators have been able to submit licence applications to operate virtual slots and online poker . Online table games ( such as roulette , blackjack and live dealer casino ) are reserved to land-based casinos , most of which are state operated although in August 2021 the states of Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia notified the European Commission of their intention to hold a tender process to issue licences to operate such games to private operators . ( Private operators can no longer obtain casino licences in Schleswig-Holstein under the existing regime , although S-H has approved legislation to reinstate existing licences until 2021 ( with operations allowed to continue in the interim ). S-H has also introduced a quasi-licensing regime for sports betting ( intended to be of a transitional nature ). STATUS : The main legal framework for gambling regulation in Germany has been the subject of much debate and has been heavily criticised by the EC and interested parties / states within Germany for a number of years . Discussions to reform the existing legislation resulted in the approval of the 3rd Amendment Treaty which entered into force on 1 January 2020 . The 3rd Amendment Treaty removed the limit on the number of sports betting licences and reintroduced a sports betting licensing process . The ban on online casino remains in place , although there is an exception to the prohibition for S-H . In March 2020 , the German prime ministers approved the new Interstate Treaty on Gambling which brings new licensing options for private operators for online poker and virtual slots ( although stringent restrictions , such as stake limits , shall apply ). In October 2020 a toleration regime was introduced which permits operators to offer online poker and slots provided they comply with the toleration regime ’ s requirements and certain restrictions ( such as stake limits ) pending the entry into force of the Treaty on 1 July 2021 .
GREAT BRITAIN REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . OPERATOR TYPE : All licences are available to private operators save for lottery , which is reserved exclusively for the monopoly provider , Camelot . STATUS : Any operator that transacts with , or advertises to , British residents requires a licence from the Gambling Commission ( GC ). Licensed operators are required to source gambling software from GC-licensed businesses . Last December , the government launched a “ wide-ranging ” review into the current gambling legislation in Great Britain . It is anticipated that any proposals for reform will be published in a white paper that is expected in the short term .
GREECE REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . OPERATOR TYPE : Under the permanent licensing regime , two ‘ Types ’ of licences are available to private operators : ( i ) Type 1 for online betting ; and ( ii ) Type 2 for other online games ( which includes poker and casino games ). However , certain entities which were previously state-owned have the exclusive right to offer bingo , lottery and pari-mutual betting or fixed-odds betting on horse racing . STATUS : In 2012 , a ‘ transition period ’ commenced , whereby the Greek government granted 24 transitional licences
to operators , enabling them to provide services to Greek residents . Legislation , which introduced an open licensing regime for online betting and “ other online games ”, including casino and poker , entered into force on 30 October 2019 . However , the regulations implementing the new legal regime were not published until August 2020 . In July 2021 the regulator announced that the first cycle of the permanent licensing process had come to an end and that it had issued 15 licences under the permanent licensing regime . It is understood that of the 15 licensees , 13 were permitted to ‘ go live ’ as of 6 August 2021 .
HUNGARY REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Sports betting , horse race betting , poker , casino , bingo and lottery . OPERATOR TYPE : Only the state monopolies and local concession companies can apply for a licence . STATUS : Amendments to Hungarian gambling law came into force on 1 October 2015 and allow only two land-based casinos to hold remote casino concessions . The regulator has since issued fines , a number of which have been challenged , against unlicensed operators that continue to target the market . In June 2017 , the ECJ determined Hungary ’ s gambling regime to be incompatible with Article 56 TFEU . A subsequent ECJ decision in February 2018 ruled against the Hungarian requirement that online gambling operators must have a land-based licence to offer online gambling services to Hungarian citizens , further strengthening arguments that the current regime is incompatible with EU law .
IRELAND REGULATED GAMBLING PRODUCTS : Online betting has been regulated since 2015 . Online gaming is not specifically accounted for in Ireland ’ s outdated legislation and as such is currently unregulated . OPERATOR TYPE : Private operators can apply for a betting licence .
Q1 2022 • ISSUE 89 • 67