Developments in Germany have caught the attention of much of the European sports betting industry, as the country introduced its Fourth Interstate Treaty on Gambling (GlüNeuRStv).

Launched on 1 July, the GlüNeuRStv regime was ratified by all 16 federal states of Germany’s Lander, introducing new regulatory requirements on the national betting and gaming industry.

Sports betting licences have been approved, but licences for online, poker and slot games have yet to be certified. As it stands, the Bundesländer of Saxony-Anhalt – the German state appointed to house the new national gambling regulator, the Glücksspielbehörde – has not yet approved any operator to provide these products.

Speaking to SBC at the recent Betting on Sports Europe (BOSE) event, Christian Madlindl, Managing Director of Sport1 Median AG, stated that he was ‘confident’ about the introduction of online poker licences in 2022, but held reservations about the possibility of casino operations.

“We have had sports betting licences since last year, and we will hopefully get all the vertical licences into 2022 like poker and slot licences, and maybe the casino licence,” Madlindl remarked in an interview.

“I’m not too confident about the casino licence or table game licences for 2022, but I’m pretty confident we’ll get the online poker licences and then this market can start to grow again, and operators can start advertising.”

From a sporting perspective, the MD held the most positive opinions on the return of spectators to football – by far the most popular sport in Germany among both the general public and bettors – as Germany eases out of COVID-19 lockdowns.

He continued: “Sport1 Media Group generated great new football rights, so this will be a big issue to bring the Bundgesliga to free TV again in Germany, and also build up our football platforms. 

“I am also very happy that after COVID stadiums are getting full, and I hope that all the sports staff that suffered under COVID and all the sports fans who suffered under COVID can get back that entertainment, and I’m really positive for 2022.

Lastly, when quizzed about his opinion on the significance of events such as BOSE for the industry, Madlindl shared the view of many other attendees that the main benefit of the conferences is the numerous networking opportunities and the ability to lay the foundations for new business relationships.

“Especially for such a young industry, these events are very important,” he said. “We don’t have a big lobby in the gaming industry so it’s always important to bring as much people from as many sides together and that’s what SBC does. It’s not just about the operators it’s about the technical, media and legal sides. They put this together to grow this industry.”