As expected, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has stated that Hesse Ministry gambling regulations cannot prosecute unlicensed sports betting operators, due to the fact that German betting laws run contrary to EU business practices and policies. Thursday’s announcement marks a further setback for the progression of online betting in Germany. However several German regulatory stakeholders and industry bodies, had …
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Racebets.com gains first German horse betting licence
German racing operator RaceBets.com has announced that it is the first firm to gain a horse betting licence by the German regulatory authority. The current horse betting laws were introduced in July 2012 and RaceBets are the first German bookmaker to fully comply with the new regulations. Patrick Byrne, RaceBets’ Managing Director, commented on the licensing “We are delighted and exceptionally …
Read More »ECJ delays German online betting framework review
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 …
Read More »GBGA challenge sees POC tax referred to EU courts
The European Court of Justice should be referred to on important issues concerning the legality of a tax imposed on overseas gambling operators, according to a judgment handed down by the High Court, which could have major implications for the UK’s point of consumption regime. Law firm Olswang has claimed that if the current tax framework is found to be …
Read More »Opposition mounts against German Sports betting bill
Pressure has been mounting on the Hesse Ministry of Interior and Sports (HMDIS) to restructure and reform its online sports betting framework, as the regulatory body receives further criticism regarding its legislation process. This week, the German Green Party were the latest critics of the framework, stating that HMDIS remove its 20 licence cap and include licensing provisions based on …
Read More »German association calls for legal certainty
The German Betting Association DSWV has called on the legislator to bring some legal certainty to the industry in a bid to improve consumer protection and driving out black market operators. DSWV President Mathias Dahms said: “It is with great concern that we observe a growing black market. Unfortunately it is only a logical consequence of the German licensing chaos. …
Read More »Stanleybet loses EU suit over Italian licenses appeal
Stanley International online betting subsidiary Stanleybet Italia has lost its European Union (EU) lawsuit against Italian authorities regarding the assigned length of gambling licenses. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled in favour of Italian gambling regulators, dismissing that betting licenses for new market entrants lasting 40 months were not unfair in comparison to established Italian gambling firms that had …
Read More »ECJ rules against Italian foreign gambling tax practices
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled against current Italian gambling tax legislations. The ECJ stated that Italian gambling tax laws which charge winnings from games of chance and sports betting obtained whilst playing in other EU member states were against European Union member state business and tax practices. By charging taxes on consumer’s foreign winnings, the Italian tax …
Read More »ECJ to investigate Swedish online gambling laws
Swedish online gambling laws will face the scrutiny of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), after European Commission (EC) stated that Sweden did not comply with European business practices and legislation. At present state owned gambling operator Svenska Spel, has exclusive rights to offer online gambling services in Sweden. The EC stated that Sweden had breached European business regulation concerning …
Read More »Malta asks for ECJ clarity on illegal betting definition
Malta’s Economic Secretary Jose Herrera has urged the European Court of Justice (ECJ), for further clarity over the European Unions definition of illegal betting. Herrera made the appeal in light of the publication of the European draft convention on sports competitions. The convention purpose is to prevent and detect corruption and manipulation of professional sports within EU member states. Furthermore …
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