SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The investigation by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) into Germany’s online sports betting regulatory framework developed by the Hesse Ministry of Interior and Sports (HMDIS) appears to have been delayed.
An expected report on the ECJ findings regarding the make-up of the HMDIS framework, which has excluded a number of international operators from gaining online betting licenses, was expected to be published by mid-September.
However it now appears that the ECJ have delayed the issuing of its report on the matter by a month (revised date – 22 October). EU and industry insiders believe that no official ECJ decision/stance on the matter has been agreed, which will likely lead to further delays.
Whether any action on HMDIS framework will be taken in 2015 remains unknown. At present the situation remains frustrating to multiple stakeholders awaiting for clarity on the German online betting sector and whether operators will be allowed to re-apply for licensing
HMDIS’s regulatory framework, operations and policy regarding online betting have been criticised throughout 2015. Introduced in Q1 2015, HMDIS would allow the granting twenty sports betting licenses, the ministry would be criticised by multiple operators and sporting bodies for creating a ring-fenced framework which was not in-line with European business and competition regulations.
