Schleswig Holstein legalises online poker

Schleswig Holstein legalises online poker

Friday, 16 September 2011

Poker players in the German state of Schleswig Holstein can look forward to legal, regulated Internet games in the near future after the state narrowly passed online gaming legislation.

The new law, which went through by just one vote, 46 to 45, will permit licensed operators to offer online poker as well as exchange and sportsbetting and casino games (with the exception of roulette, blackjack and baccarat).


Schleswig-Holstein decided to submit draft regulations of its own for consideration by the European Union, rather than joining Germany's 15 other states in amending the nation's State Lottery Treaty. The 15 wish to grant only seven online sports betting franchises for a five-year experimental phase from January. Internet poker is currently banned in Germany but an estimated 2m Germans gamble online on other European or offshore sites.


The latest legislative move was welcomed by Betfair who in a statement releases yesterday said, “The resolution passed today is an important and groundbreaking step on the way to an open and regulated gambling market in Germany. We are now hopeful that the other 15 German States will make the regulated amendments to their proposed State Treaty, in order to bring it into line with EU law.”


Bwin (which is now merged with Party Gaming) also gave strong backing to the move, stating, “The resolution passed today is an important and groundbreaking step on the way to an open and regulated gambling market in Germany.”


Whether the new legislation will roll out to the rest of Germany remains to be seen. The picture should become somewhat clearer in October when the 16 state premiers are scheduled to meet and discuss the issue further.



Tags: Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, legal, legislation