Court of Justice of the eu Union says different state gambling laws could co-exist

iGaming Business – The Court of Justice of the ecu Union (CJEU) has decided that EU law doesn't prevent the co-existence of liberal gambling regulations in Schleswig-Holstein and the so-called ‘Inter State Treaty’ agreed by the 15 other states in Germany.

All of Germany’s 16 states, collectively known as the ‘

Länder’, aside from the northernmost of Schleswig-Holstein, abide by the treaty, which dictates stricter policies on gambling.

The case handled by the CJEU excited by the question of whether the successful multi-licence regulation for online gambling operators in Schleswig-Holstein can exist side by side with the more restrictive treaty adopted jointly by the Länder.

The CJEU concluded that having two different licensing systems in a federal state isn't necessarily against EU law, in step with the eu Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA).

The ruling was issued following a request by Germany’s Federal Court for clarification on whether Schleswig-Holstein’s regulations could have an impact at the tougher laws within the other 15 German states in a case involving online gaming operator Digibet and the state lottery, Westdeutsche Lotterie.

However, the CJEU made it clear that it had not ruled at the legality of the treaty itself, that's subject to a different referral by the German court of Sonthofen and is about to be decided in 2015.

The two-year grace period granted by the ecu Commission to Germany for making its Inter State Treaty work will expire on July 1, 2014. So far, no sports betting licences has been granted under the treaty.

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