Step Forward Or Backward?
Added: Oct. 27, 2014
As you know, online gambling is spreading throughout the world. Countries from diverse locations around the globe are amending or even eliminating antiquated laws prohibiting so called Internet Gambling. So you may be shocked to learn that in modern day Europe there is one hold out you may not have even suspected.
Oddly, Germany is beginning to look like it is taking a step backwards in terms of online casinos at least. Here is what is going on: there is new attention on actually prohibiting banking institutions from processing payments to online wagering sites or even accepting withdrawal requests related to these sites.
Except for those that can accept payments of course. The real truth is that within Germany there are existing laws on the books that prohibit any only casino operator that is not controlled by the state. Aha! So that’s it. The state controlled gambling operators can take deposits, they can provide winning payments, etc. Yet, non-state controlled online casino operators are left out.
However, apparently that has not stopped the German public from actually enjoying these so called “un-licensed online wagering sites”. Interestingly, as recently as 2012, Germany made a public announcement that twenty additional online non state controlled gambling licenses would be issued. However, despite there being well over 100 applicants, not even one online gambling operator license has yet been issued.
Naturally the supporters of non-state controlled online casino operators are up in arms over this state of affairs. They very sagely point out that this state of non-action on the part of German legislators to follow through with their promises is only favoring the state controlled entities. Not only that, as of now all further action on this issue is at a standstill due to a court order which suspended any further activity until a pending legal challenge is settled one way or the other.
To make matters even worse, recent actions suggest this issue is becoming more adversarial. The state of Lower Saxony let on that it is actively looking into legal ways to block local banks from taking payments or accepting deposits from unauthorized online gambling sites.
In other words, for the time being it certainly looks like Germany intends to keep online gambling dollars solely in the hands of state controlled online gambling operators. One can’t help but wonder what this is really all about when other countries around the world are doing exactly the opposite.