by Renee Israel
The Remote Gambling Association (RGA), the largest online gambling trade
group which represents top licensed and listed gambling operators, has reacted
to a proposal by German states regarding the adoption of a new gambling law.
The RGA said in a statement that it was disappointed by comments made by the
Minister Presidents of the German Lander who urged the adoption of a State
Treaty pertaining to gambling laws.
By July next year, the Lander is hoping to introduce a system which will
gravely affect gambling in the country. Among the changes that will be seen
include the outright ban of all online poker and casino games, as well as the
adoption of an uncompetitive tax regime.
Changes to German gambling laws are going in a totally different
direction to those sought by other European countries such as Spain and Denmark
who are in the process of legalising and regulating online gambling, based on a
viable tax model.
The Chief Executive of the Remote Gambling Association, Clive Hawkswood said:
"There appears to be no connection between the desire to provide German citizens
with a regulated market and the actual text of the State Treaty. The Minister
Presidents say on one hand that they wish to encourage sports betting with
regulated German operators, but at the same time deny this to citizens who wish
to partake of casino and poker games online."
Hawkswood said that it was clear that the new gambling law proposed will have
limited effect in reducing the large number of Germans who gamble with operators
who are licensed in other jurisdictions and which offer casino and poker
products.
"Policies to restrict consumers from accessing such sites have consistently
been shown to be ineffective," he said. "As such, this policy will have limited
practical impact."
In the meantime, Schleswig-Holstein decided to pass its own gambling laws,
regulating gambling products, including those online. The EU has approved this
state's laws.
German Gambling Proposal Goes Against EU
The new gambling State Treaty proposal goes against European
law, according to the Remote Gambling Association.
"The European Commission has repeatedly stated that the draft
State Treaty falls foul of EU laws and the latest version appears to make little
headway in meeting with the Commission's concerns," said Hawkswood. "In fact,
such an approach simply makes the Schleswi-Holstein more attractive and creates
a fragmented, confusing and undesirable situation for German consumers."
