In connection with the new State Treaty on Gambling, which will come into force next year, the first licenses for sports betting have now been issued in Germany. So far, 15 providers can be happy, but they must meet some conditions.
Licenses apply to on-site and online sports betting
What is particularly gratifying is the fact that the licenses are not only valid for local betting shops. The licenses also extend to the online offer so that the existing online casinos can be used. This is an advantage for the players, as they do not have to open multiple portals. Gambling providers now have the opportunity to offer slot machines and sports betting at the same time. Such a fact reduces the costs on the part of the providers.
It is interesting that the license was granted by Hessen. This country was authorized by the state chancellery to issue the licenses, which, however, apply nationwide. The licensees can thus offer their sports betting throughout Germany and do not have to expect any negative consequences.
But how was it determined which gaming providers would be licensed? Those were chosen who are already acting on the regulations that are regulated by the new State Treaty on Gambling. Thus, the following providers are part of the party:
- Gauselmann with the Cashpoint portal
- GVC: bwin, SportingBet, Ladbrokes, Gamebookers
- Tipwin
- Admiral Sports Betting
- Tipico
- Bet365
- HPYBET
- BetVictor
- BC Sports Betting
- Greenvest Betting
- Jaxx
- Tipin
This means that there are numerous betting options available to German players. Finding the right provider for you from this will probably not be easy. Most likely, the companies will outbid each other to offer either new welcome bonuses or further promotions. All of this benefits the player.
These bets can be placed
As good as the news regarding sports betting licenses are, they have been restricted: At the moment, bets for Bundesliga games and Formula 1 are allowed. Fortunately, the sport was not restricted. Only live bets are prohibited. In addition, the sports betting site is not allowed to offer casino games. Slots, however, should be allowed.
Furthermore, the licensed companies must comply with the conditions, which are basically only valid from the entry into force of the new State Treaty on Gambling. Sports betting providers must therefore also observe a stake limit of EUR 1000 per player and per month. Of course, the exceptions negotiated in the new contract also apply to sports betting providers. One of these exceptions is that a small percentage of all players may award a higher limit.
The statement by Peter Beuth, the Hessian interior minister, is encouraging. He promises that the licensing has not yet ended. More companies will follow that can expect a license in the near future. Since last year sports betting has been tolerated and not prosecuted – in comparison to online casinos. The latter have had to defend themselves against some criminal charges in recent years. With the new licenses, the providers are legally protected and the hope is that betting fans will no longer resort to dubious groups from now on.
Licensing resolves years of dispute
If you take a closer look at the providers mentioned above, you will find that they have only offered sports betting so far. So the online casinos that currently offer table games and slots at the same time definitely have a disadvantage.
However, everyone else involved is happy about the official licenses. There has been a dispute between the federal states for years and an agreement could not be reached. For example, there have been several legal proceedings that have been stopped by the courts themselves. In 2016 an attempt was made to reach an agreement at the European Court of Justice – this attempt also failed.
The fact that Austria also got involved in the German dispute and tried to stop the current licensing may be incomprehensible. It is thanks to Tipico and Bwin that it did not get that far. Both companies proposed a settlement out of court to the applicant, which he accepted. For this reason, the legal proceedings were settled and the licenses could be issued. And as is always the case in legal disputes, there are also losers when it comes to licenses: Almost 46 companies applied, but only 15 received the license. It is not yet clear whether the 31 other companies will soon be able to look forward to a license.
The chances are good if the corporations concerned deal with the conditions of the new State Treaty on Gaming and implement them now. This is the only way for companies to prove that they accept the regulations applicable in Germany and guarantee the defined player protection. Another possibility would already be to separate casino games and sports betting.
