Gambling Sites Start Exiting German Online Market
January 29, 2015 6:22 pmIn Germany only sports betting and lotteries are permitted, albeit under strict control of the federal government, whilst online poker and casino sites are strictly forbidden in Europe’s most populous country. That didn’t stop German players from gambling online in the past, but a recent decision by the District Court of Munich to prosecute a Germany internet player for “unlawful gaming” may have had a major influence on the decision by a number of major gambling operators to pull out of the country’s market.
According to latest reports, the five high-profile Playtech powered casino sites that have decided to quit the huge market of 80 million people are Casino.com, MansionCasino.com, LesAcasino.com, Club777.com, and SlotsHeaven.com, although these sites will still be available for those German residents wishing to continue playing for play money, only. As an e-mail sent out to their customers, explains:
“We regret to inform you that.. a closure [will begin] in the German market for all brands. All accounts will have to be stopped no later than January 30th, 2015.”
Germany has one of the strictest regimes when it comes to online gambling, and a couple of years back when one of its states tried to adopt licensing regulation of its own, it was soon reined in by the federal government and together with the country’s other 15 states now obeys Germany’s Intestate Treaty on Gambling 2012 (ISTG) forbidding online gambling and poker within the country. Before recently, however, the law as it applied to individuals was largely symbolic, but this month Germany’s Financial Services Authorities decided to make an example of a 25 year-old online gambler who won €201,500 playing blackjack at an internet casino, and not only confiscated the winnings found at his house, but also hit him with a further €2,100 penalty for breaking Germany´s Criminal Code, specifically Section 285 which states:
“Whosoever participates in a public game of chance (Section 284) shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding 180 daily units.”