Victor Chandler and Interwetten were issued with online sports betting licences by the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein today.
The permits are valid for six years and run until 3 December 2018. Novomatic-owned Admiral Sports betting was also issued with retail sports betting licences to add to its existing online permit.
A total of 15 betting licences have now been granted by Germany’s nothernmost federal state or Land, with Victor Chandler and Interwetten joining Ladbrokes, 888, bet365, Betfair and bwin in holding permits. The Home Office has also issued an identity card system for internet and retail sports betting customers. “Schleswig-Holstein thus sets exemplary standards for the security and transparency of gambling”, Interior Minister Andreas Breitner said today.
The Schleswig-Holstein government is looking to repeal the Gambling Act under which the licences have been issued, and to re-join the Interstate Gambling Treaty ratified by the other 15 Lander. The three-month standstill period for the European Commission to review the gambling reforms ends this month, but may be extended for a further month if another Member State decides to comment.
Germany plans to issue up to 20 national sports betting licences under the ITG, based on a high 5% turnover tax, with online poker and casino remaining banned, as they were under the previous five-year Treaty.
The Land said it was examining 23 other applications to offer sports betting in SH, despite not actually having been able to levy and collect taxes on online sports bets from its licensed operators since 1 July when the ITG came into force, due to a clause in its own Gambling Act that stipulated “gaming duty shall not be levied on … lotteries and betting that are subject to taxation under the [federal] Betting and Lotteries Act.”
SH however provided no update on the status of the 22 applications it had received by August to offer online casino, including poker, based on a 20% gross profit tax. bwin.party and myBet took legal action in August aimed at forcing SH in fulfilling its legal obligation to issue them with egaming permits.
Article written by Stephen Carter
