Germany’s online gambling ban could be upturned as one of the German states which originally approved the move has now demanded their support to be cancelled, calling for an end to the online gambling ban.

Last Saturday the Christian Democratic Party and the Liberal Party insisted that the interstate gambling treated was removed and new regulations were put in its place which would be more in keeping with European Union requirements of the free movement of goods and services.

The German Interstate treaty has been criticised as it creates a monopoly which it is argued violates EU law as it restricts the rights of its members to provide online gaming services. However it is also argued that this system provides the best protection for consumers, children and problem gamblers but also has been shown to profit from the illegal restraint of trade.

Leader of the FDP and the coalition in Schleswig-Holstein, Jürgen Koppelin has said that if all other German states cannot agree on a new system which can replace the treaty, a new licensing system will be introduced.

The treaty will expire in 2012 meaning that if another system is not agreed upon by all 16 states and put into place by then the monopoly will be unprotected and therefore unenforceable regardless.

The ban has caused controversy since it was put into place with various appealing being submitted to the European Commission on the grounds that the law is discriminatory. In particular the Austrian company Bwin has been most successful in challenging the regional bans on online gambling with the German courts granting the company a license for Eastern German States a number of years ago.

Source: www.gamblingonlinemagazine.com

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