Schleswig Holstein under the spolight
Industry experts expressed concern after the shift in political leadership in the German state of Schleswig Holstein as the new regime representatives announced that the non-conformist province could sign the anti-online gambling State Treaty - the step which would mean withdrawal of the progressive licensing and regulations introduced by the former government.
Apparently contradictory messages emerged this week as regulatory bodies in SH stated that sports betting licenses are still under review with six new licenses likely to be issued in the course of next few weeks, with further four to six licenses in the pipeline.
Presumable negative stance of the new coalition government in SH towards the state's progress in online gambling regulation contradicts the current licensing process. One would expect cancellation of any further licenses, but that does not seem probable at the moment.
The Ministry of the Interior simply commented that until the law is amended or repealed, the existing legislation applies.
As per the Public Gaming Research Institute report published earlier this month, Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of the Interior issued another four 6-year licenses to bet-at-home, bwin, bet365 and Sportingbet, proving that SH has been "relentless when it comes to giving licenses to sport betting operators."
"According to the Ministry, there are a total of twenty four operators that have applied for a licence, and these operators are being examined and are actually under consideration. As for online casinos, there are seventeen operators who have applied for a casino gaming licence," the Institute claims.
