SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Glücksspielbehörde (GGL), Germany’s unified gambling regulator, has stepped up its regulatory actions against Lottoland.
In July, the GGL began a ‘targeted enforcement campaign’ against Lottoland which is alleged to have “offered illegal gambling for years” in Germany.
The laws of Germany’s federal Fourth State Treaty on Gambling (GlüNeuRStv) prohibit wagering on the outcome of any state-sanctioned lotteries.
July’s warning was followed by the GGL restricting access to the Lottoland.com and lottohelden.de websites via IP blocks and further ordering payment service providers (PSPs) to decline transactions.
Following its initial enforcement, GGL revealed that it will order German internet service providers to directly block access to Lottoland’s website.
Its notice informed that three German biggest ISP providers had been requested to undertake the full blackout of all websites connected to Lottoland’s business.
“Of course we are aware that we are entering new legal territory and that our actions will be subject to judicial review,” read a statement by GGL CEO Benjamin Schwanke.
“The task of the GGL is to consistently implement the State Treaty on Gaming, to enforce its law and order.”
The management of Lottoland has stated that it is currently reviewing German legal options to challenge the GGL’s rights to authorise a network ISP block of its business.
Lottoland is adamant that the GGL regulatory actions are in breach of EU and EEA laws, in which the regulator has intervened in the services of a business that it has yet to legislate for.
