A small state in Germany has big ambitions for its iGaming market. Thuringia, home to around 2.1 million inhabitants, is putting forward legislation that would give it autonomous control over iGaming within its borders. If approved, the state’s lottery operator, Lotto Thüringen, would become the sole iGaming operator of many online gaming options. Staff of Lotto Thüringen in Thuringia, Germany, which could operate an iGaming monopoly in the state. (Image: Lotto Thüringen) Germany is undergoing massive changes in its gaming industry. It is introducing new rules and regulations, some of which have been controversial and threaten to increase black market gaming. Thuringia, a neighbor of Bavaria and Saxony, has approved an amendment to its gambling regulations that would give the state lottery monopoly power over all online casino activity in the state. A New Era Of Gaming
Thuringia’s parliament signed off on the “fifth act” to its Thuringian Casino Act, which would pave the way for the lottery operator to exclusively offer iGaming in the state. It specifically creates a monopoly controller, which the parliament believes is the best solution to guarantee player protection and reduce illegal online gaming. Legislators are confident that the amendment is in line with provisions laid out in the larger Interstate Treaty on Gambling.
The country’s newly-regulated iGaming market launched earlier this year . The Interstate Treaty on Gambling was meant to crack down on offshore gaming and improve the tax revenue the state and federal governments received from gambling. The treaty was designed to put all the states’ gaming activity under one umbrella overseen by a new regulator, Glücksspielneuregulierungstaatsverag.
In Thuringia, the gaming license would be issued by the Ministry of the Interior and Municipal Affairs, which already oversees the state’s casinos. While, in theory, the license could be given to another state-run entity, Lotto Thüringen is viewed as the most likely recipient. It would have the authority to regulate online versions of games such as blackjack, baccarat and roulette, while others, including slot machines and poker, would still be governed by the provisions laid out in the Interstate Treaty on Gambling.
The amendment will now […]
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