German sports betting licences delayed once again
No movement expected until 2014 after all 41 applicants fail to meet minimum requirements for 20 available licences
The German sports betting licensing process has been delayed once again, with progress now not expected until 2014.
Letters sent out to the 41 applicants in the second stage of the procedure this week revealed that not one operator had met the minimum requirements stipulated in the Interior Ministry’s approval process.
Further letters with additional guidance are expected to be sent sometime in January, with operators afforded the opportunity to complete and amend their applications before resubmitting.
A source familiar with the matter told eGaming Review that while the reset of the licensing process was good news for the industry as it provided operators with a clear chance to receive a licence, further delays to the process were not welcome.
European Gaming & Betting Association secretary general Maarten Haijer said applicants had been left in the dark as to when licences could be expected.
“Compared to successful licensing procedures that we have accompanied in the past few years in the EU, the German procedure is very complicated and is taking much longer than expected,” Haijer added.
The country’s controversial interstate gambling treaty came into effect last July and outlined a licensing model that would restrict sports betting in the country to all but 20 officially sanctioned licensees.
The application process has been met with continual delays and lawsuits, with UK bookmaker BetVictor spearheading a legal challenge against the Hessian Interior Ministry over its actions after it was initially excluded from the process.
BetVictor was successful with the Administrative Court of Wiesbaden ruling that the Ministry did not have a clear procedure, however high profile operators such as Betfair have since given up on the market and withdrawn from Germany almost entirely.
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