Online Interests Testify on New German Gambling Laws

Posted: September 29, 2010

Updated: October 4, 2017

This week, some 80 businessmen and academics gave testimony in Kiel on the possibility of new laws on Internet gambling in Germany.

This week, some 80 businessmen and academics gave testimony in Kiel on the possibility of new laws on Internet gambling in Germany. With representatives from lottery commissions, online gambling providers, universities, media and the advertising industry most speaking in favor of the bill, CDU party parliamentary leader Christian von Boetticher stated “now serious discussion of our proposal has begun everywhere.”

While industry experts figure that online gambling in Germany is on the rise recently, recent numbers from business consultancy Deloitte has shown a 19% decrease in revenues going to the government between 2005 and 2008. This, coupled with a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice against standing German gambling laws, necessitated a new dialogue and a new draft law.

Consultant Dr. Michael Schmid of Gold Media cited statistics gathered by his firm which put the value of the unregulated, foreign-based online casinos in Germany at €1.5 billion, or at least 25% of the total market. A representative from PokerStars pointed out the enormous potential of online poker sites in Germany, potentially worth up to €7.8 billion.

German lottery association president Norman Faber commented that continuation of the current system headed up by monopoly companies would ultimately threaten tens of thousands of jobs and many businesses in Germany, while other lottery representatives stated their approval for the Danish model as a step in the right direction.