Germans spy return of online gambling
18th January, 2008
Many Germans can once again enjoy the thrills of online casino gambling after a court in Karlsruhe overruled a ban on the game.
Austria's Bwin Interactive Entertainment had been prohibited from accepting bets in the south-western state of Baden-Wuerttemberg after a previous anti-gambling ruling.
But according to the Stuttgarter Nachrichten daily newspaper, a judge has now overruled that order, effectively legalising online gambling for the region's several hundred thousand online casino enthusiasts.
While the wider national impact of the ruling has yet to be determined, Baden-Wuerttemberg is Germany's third largest state and analysts say regional disparities in gambling laws would make a ban largely unenforceable.
The ruling come after European Gaming and Betting Association filed a formal complaint with the EC about the German accord that bans online gambling, insisting it violates gamblers' rights.
"Why focus on Internet gambling when traditional land-based offline gambling is being promoted in Germany?" the association demanded. "We urge the Commission now to fast-track our complaint and launch infringement proceedings against Germany."
