Yesterday, German politicians from across the country gathered to discuss the legalization of online gambling. After a long debate, it was finally decided that online gambling would become legal in the country of Germany, however, many online casino operators are not pleased with the details of the new legislation.
Bwin.party has stated that the new regulations for online gambling in Germany will make it difficult for the company to operator within the country. This is because a 16.67% tax has been proposed on all online sportsbetting activities. According to officials at bwin.party, the proposed rate would make it ‘impossible to offer a competitive product’. In fact, bwin.party’s stocks dropped by 16% after the news of the new German gaming law.
Additionally, the law only regulates online sportsbetting, which continues to make online poker and online casino games illegal. This will continue to drive German players to illegal online gambling websites, counteracting what was assumed to be the main point of the legislation.
However, bwin.party has faith that the European Commission will step in to make corrections. Recently, the commission has suggested changes to several regulated markets to ensure that a fair, competitive environment is maintained, and bwin.party hopes it will do the same for Germany.