Unnamed license holders who violate advertising regulations have been penalized by the German regulator Gemeinsamen Glucksspielbehorde der Lander.
The GGL stated that “a permitted gaming provider” had not adhered to the advertising provisions of its permit in the first “severe” such fine.
Ronald Benter is the CEO of GGL. He stated: “We consider these advertisement regulations to be very fair and justifiable. GGL continuously monitors legal providers’ offers. We impose heavy penalties for violations.
“Repeated violations of the gaming provisions in the state treaty are grounds for removing permission. This is something we don’t shy away from.”
The threat to impose heavy sanctions is reminiscent of the warning issued at the beginning of the year by the GGL warning all licensees that they would face severe consequences if serious infractions were found.
GGL stated that the operator was “deliberately advertising” his offer on websites that featured illegal options. This is against the law.
Benjamin Schwanke, a member of the GGL board, said: “The legal online gambling providers can have no interest in advertising on websites that also promote illegal gambling. This is a negative for the reputation of providers.
From January 1, 2023, the GGL assumed control over online gambling supervision and approval on behalf of all 16 federal States. The GGL was previously responsible for fighting illegal gambling starting July 1, 2022.
Benter also released a three-month update this week, marking the official beginning of the GGL at the University of Hohenheim’s annual gaming symposium.
He praised the positive progress made so far and also reiterated these sentiments, as well as calling on more industry cooperation.
“We are on our way to creating a legal market that is attractive.” Benter stated that the majority of permit applications were approved.
“We still see insufficient cooperation from online gambling providers. This includes both the payment security deposits as well as any defects in individual games submitted to the virtual slot machine field.
This delays the permitting process and hinders the faster transfer of illegal substances to the legal market. We work together with legalization providers to achieve the common goal of creating an equal playing field and protecting minors and players. We would appreciate more efforts from the providers.
