Germany Will Ban Internet Gambling to Protect State Lotteries

Germany is about to pass laws that will outlaw online betting in most of the states across the country. The only difference between Germany banning Internet gambling as opposed to the US banning it is that the Germans have the chutzpah to come right out and say that they are doing it to protect the land based monopolies that run in the states.

The states in the US are seeing more and more approval for land based casinos. Pennsylvania has put up new casinos, Florida has many, the Gulf Coast states run them, and of course there are the gambling meccas of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Yet, the United States government has called online gambling another form of crack cocaine, and stated that as the reason to ban online games.

As shamelessly reported in a German newspaper the German states want to sign off on new rules designed specifically to protect their lucrative state run lotteries. The German state of Saxony and two other states imposed a ban earlier this year on commercial betting. That ban was directed mainly at Austrian Internet betting firm Bet and Win (bwin.com) whose German base was the country's biggest commercial bookmaker.

The European Gaming Commission is stressing to Union members that this sort of protectionism is not allowed. As a result, Spain and Italy are opening their doors to Internet gambling. Germany is going in the other direction without fear of consequences.

December 13, 2006
Posted By Susan Torres
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com    Previous Page | Internet Gambling | Top Online Casinos | Submit News!