Brussels, 19/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 18 July, the European Commission expressed serious reservation about the German draft law on online gaming, in this case the gambling treaty brought by the Länder, considering that the draft violates Community law and cannot be adopted as such, being liable to infringement proceedings.
Among the controversial points, as the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) points out in a press release, the draft law which is to include market access to online sports gambling operators from all member states of the EU, in fact reserves the market for the incumbent German monopolies. EGBA states that the total number of gaming licences available is thus limited to seven and this, “without justification”, while the state monopoly for sports betting is exempted from the obligation to call for a licence. An “exorbitant tax” of 16.67% of the amount betted is moreover imposed on all operators, EGBA continues, a tax that is said to be aimed at penalising commercial operators.
At the end of 2010, the EU Court of Justice had already condemned the German gaming monopolies and questioned the “treaty” that is to expire end 2011, the new casting of which is to take effect on 1st January 2012. (S.P./transl.jl)