The newly established German gambling regulator, Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), has issued its first fine to a gambling license holder.
The fine was issued after an investigation revealed that the license holder had breached rules on advertising. The GGL confirmed the fine but has yet to publish full financial details on the penalty stating that it was a five-figure sum. The regulator also refrained from naming the license holder in its announcement.
According to the announcement, the license holder advertised its services and products on a website that also listed illegal online gambling providers which are not licensed to operate in Germany. This is strictly against advertising regulations.
Speaking of the fine CEO Ronald Benter said:
“ We consider these advertising regulations to be very good and justified. GGL consistently monitors offers from legal providers. In the event of violations, we levy heavy fines. The withdrawal of permission in the event of repeated violations of the provisions of the State Treaty on Gaming is a measure that we do not shy away from .”
Board member Benjamin Schwanke went on to add:
“ The legal online gambling providers cannot have any interest in advertising on sites that also advertise illegal gambling. This damages the reputation of the providers”.
In a later announcement, the GGL revealed that it was making good progress with online gambling license applications but that issues with delayed security deposits and defective online slots has led to a number of delays. The announcement also reveals that the GGL remains hopeful that German courts will uphold their legal attempts to block local consumers from accessing illegal online gambling websites.
Based in Galway, Ireland, Ciaran has over a decade of experience writing for some of the biggest names in the sports-betting, gambling, poker & casino industries.
