european-court-rejects-german-gambling-restrictions

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European Court rejects German gambling restrictions
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8 September 2010
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German gaming restrictions breach European Union law, the EU's highest court has actually ruled.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) stated German laws that safeguard state monopolies for gaming were "unjustifiable".

The judgment could open the method for foreign wagering companies to establish a presence in Germany.
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A lobby group representing gaming firms, including PartyGaming and Bwin, called the yohaig code a "landmark".

German authorities have actually justified betting monopolies by stating that they assist secure consumers from the negative impacts of betting.

But the ECJ said this promotion code was inconsistent with Germany's promo and "intensive advertising" of its betting operations.

The court said: "the yohaig code German guidelines on sporting bets make up a constraint on the freedom to bet9ja's welcome offer services and the freedom of establishment.

"The public monopoly of the organisation of sporting bets and lotteries in Germany does not pursue the objective of combating the dangers of gaming in a consistent and systematic manner."
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Several foreign betting business, including Britain's Happy Bet and Gibraltar's Digibet, brought a case against German local authorities in Hesse and northern Schleswig-Holstein.

The European Gaming and Betting Association invited the judgment.

"This is a landmark judgment which will have a decisive effect on the much-needed reform in Germany," it stated in a declaration.
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"Other member states have actually opened or are opening their markets. They show that consumers can be better protected in a market that is both controlled and available to competitors," it stated.

However, European Lotteries, a lobby group for national lotteries in 40 nations, disputed whether the ruling would open up the German market.

"On the contrary," the group stated in a declaration, "the court reminded Germany that it has to control more strictly the deal of dangerous kinds of betting such as gambling establishment games and video gaming devices.

"The court pointed once again to the greater risks connected with web gaming."

EGBA

European Lotteries
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