German State rejects poor casino legislation

Fractures have resurfaced in German gambling as the laws Fourth Interstate Gambling Treaty (GlüNeuRStv) continue to be questioned by state legislators.

This week at a hearing held by the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern questioned why it should obey the rules of the GlüNeuRStv and allow online casino to be played within its borders. 

The query was put forward by State Chairman René Domke, who identified that the GlüNeuRStv regime held “no specific obligation for individual states to offer online casino games”.

Domke insisted that the North East state did not have to apply the uniformed rules of the GlüNeuRStv as there is “no need for the introduction of online casino games in Meck-Pomm”.

The Ministry of the Interior was told that the GlüNeuRStv implementation had interrupted a necessary debate on how German states should adopt the appropriate rules needed to regulate online casino.

As such, the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was forced to adopt an unworkable framework, which allowed for individual states to issue limited licenses to operators or impose a state monopoly to offer casino games. 

Domke told ministers that Mecklenburg-Vorpommern held the grounds to reject the GlüNeuRStv treaty as its legislative outcome was detrimental to the state which is not ready to regulate online casinos.

As a senior member of the FDP Party, Domke outlined his support for Bundestag initiatives to resolve Germany’s fragmented online casino laws, binding licensing and standards across all 16 federal states.

Legislative concerns come as the Gluecksspiel (GGL), the new federal gambling regulator, takes control of governing Germany’s new gambling market. 

The GGL informed this week that it faced a backlog in licensing online games and poker verticals, in which the regulator had received 78 applications but only qualified 25 operators.

GGL leadership is aware of online casino concerns but maintains that initial priorities will be focused on safeguarding consumers by combating illegal gambling and restricting harm.