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FEATURE
“ Illegal operators currently account for half of the entire German online gambling market , meaning that every second player who participates in online gambling is playing on a platform without any player protection at all ”
JULIA LENSING , MANAGING DIRECTOR , DOCV industry , the major problems look unlikely to be solved in the next few years . The current Interstate Treaty on Gambling expires in 2027 and the painful process of thrashing out regulations is an experience that state leaders don ’ t seem keen to repeat until nearer that time .
In 2026 , the GGL will publish a review assessing whether the treaty is achieving its goals . Two further studies on advertising and problem gambling in Germany are also in the pipeline , which means regulators are unlikely to want to meddle with the current framework for at least another few years .
Speaking to iGB , a spokesperson for the gambling authority says it is working on standardising procedures for licensing games to ensure that new ones could be approved quicker . They also want to tighten up the procedures on fighting illegal gambling and gain legal clarity on whether they can use IP blocking to eradicate blackmarket sites .
According to legal expert Hambach , the very lack of criminal enforcement proceedings against the illegal operators is a clear sign that the GGL lacks the tools it so urgently needs to fight the black market .
CALLS FOR FURTHER RESTRICTIONS
Currently , it also appears that voices in German politics who prefer prohibitive rules on gambling are growing louder and more prominent than those who prefer a liberal framework .
Nevertheless , despite the deeply frustrating lack of movement on regulatory issues , operators remain hopeful in the medium term .
“ On the one hand , the German market has enormous potential to be the leading market in Europe ,” says the DOCV ’ s Lensing . “ The statistics support this .
“ On the other hand ,” she continues , “ the current strict regulations in gambling stand in the way of precisely these developments and do not exploit this potential .”
With little hope of achieving significant change until 2027 , however , the goal in the short-term will be to keep up the political pressure for better regulation and an effective crackdown on the bullish black market .
68 • ISSUE 135 • ICE LONDON 2024