According to local news service ISA-Guide.de, the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior turned down the request after ruling that the unnamed operator was not qualified to operate a lottery in the state, despite having submitted a number of revised applications.
However, while the Munich court ruled this rejection was acceptable as the operator did not have sufficient financial means, it also said that the state’s reluctance to open up the market and seemingly retain a monopoly contradicts Article 56 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which includes measures against the protectionist impulses of European (EU) member states.
EU rules currently state that countries are able to maintain monopolies to take greater control over gambling, but this only applies in certain circumstances.
In February, all 16 German states are due to meet to discuss uncertainty over the current situation in the national gambling market and whether this ruling may present opportunities for international operators.
Source: GMB / iGaming Business
