DSWV issues warning over black market growth
The German Sports Betting Association (DSWV) warns that Germany's offshore sports betting market is drawing a growing number of players away from regulated offerings. To halt this development, stricter enforcement should be taken against black market operators, while simultaneously taking steps to increase the attractiveness of legal alternatives.
From the perspective of the DSWV, the primary focus for both the industry and regulatory authorities should thus be a determined effort to combat the growing black market, the association said in a statement.
The migration of many players to the black market is clearly visible in the decline of tax revenues. In 2023, legal sports betting operators in Germany recorded bets totaling 7.72 billion euros, a decrease of 5.4 percent compared to the previous year.
This has several consequences. First, there is a need to expand the betting options available to providers, enabling them to effectively compete with the extensive assortments offered by illegal operators.
Second, in the face of the ongoing political debate regarding an advertising ban, the DSWV is vehemently opposed to any calls for a reduction of legal advertising or sponsoring. Legal providers must develop robust brands to distinguish themselves from black market operators. Moreover, advertising plays a crucial role in guiding players towards regulated products.
At a public meeting of the Sports Committee of the German Bundestag on May 15, 2024, experts supported the DSWV position and rejected a ban on sports sponsorship. They emphasized the importance of sponsorship - including from the betting industry - for German sports. A ban on sponsoring would be disastrous for German sports organizations.
While the decline of Germany's onshore sports betting market remains modest for now, the country's onshore virtual slots market has halved since 2021. Both developments can be reasonably understood as the consequences of severe overregulation in the German market.
German regional court rules that player claim suits are to be referred to the ECJ
The Regional Court of Erfurt has ruled that player claims against unregulated online operators – in so far as the issues raised touch upon EU law – must henceforth either be suspended or referred to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
This ruling covers suits against both sports betting and casino operators, which means that questions could be raised before the ECJ that go beyond Germany's previous sports betting regime which – due to some specific intricacies of prior German regulations – has been explicitly found to be not compliant with EU law.
This means the ECJ could rule in such a way that its findings will also impact player compensation suits in other EU countries.
Since Austria-based operator Betano withdrew its highly anticipated appeal before the Federal Court of Justice of Germany (BGH) in an unrelated player claim case, the Erfurt regional court ruling remains – for now – controlling precedent.
271,400 players registered in German exclusion database
Germany's national exclusion database OASIS contains 271,400 individual player registrations, of which 261,800 were voluntary.
In the past twelve months, an average of around 90 million system queries were carried out every month. Since 2022 – apart from scheduled maintenance – there has been one major ten-hour outage, as well as six briefer other outages that lasted only a few minutes.
OASIS is being administered by the Darmstadt Regional Council.
MGA cancels Tipbet's operating authorization
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has announced the cancellation of Tipbet's operating authorization.
Tipbet started operations in 1995, making it one of the oldest online sports betting firms in Malta.
The operator built a presence in Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany and Macedonia. However, recent failures to honor financial commitments led the MGA to believe the operator faced “imminent” failure.
As a result of the cancellation, Tipbet must immediately suspend gaming operations and customer registrations and must allow existing customers to access their accounts and withdraw any funds.
888 rebrands to Evoke plc
888 Holdings, which operates the 888 and Mr. Green brands in Germany, has officially rebranded to Evoke plc.
In a statement on LinkedIn the company said that its rebranding represented a new beginning:
Today, we officially start our next chapter as Evoke plc. Evoke is a symbol of our new direction. A direction that builds on our strengths and allows us to move forward as one multi-brand group with a united strategy, vision and identity.
It also better reflects our mission: to make life more interesting by delighting players with world-class betting and gaming experiences.
More news at the 2024 Gaming in Germany Conference
After a highly successful 2023 edition, the 2024 Gaming in Germany Conference will once again take place at the five-star Adlon Hotel in the heart of historic Berlin.
Considering the remarkable lack of clarity and often contradictory data on Germany's online gambling, we will certainly aim to provide accurate insights on the latest market developments and trends.
The 2024 Gaming in Germany Conference has been scheduled for Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
Our first confirmed speaker at the 2024 Gaming in Germany Conference is Dr. Joerg Hofmann, Senior Partner at Melchers Law and Past President of the IMGL.
Registration for this event is now open. Register now or save the date!
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