German state Schleswig-Holstein is likely to see secondary legislation adopted by the end of October as the market looks to start taking license applications in January. The secondary legislation will be made up of two executive orders with one the issuing of licenses and the other monitoring of licenses. We’ve learnt the license fee is expected to be €15,000 with annual fees ranging from €15,000 to €150,000. The German market is one of the most contentious in Europe right now with current legislation set to expire in January and two different regulatory regimes going head-to-head. Schleswig-Holstein’s is favored amongst many online gaming firms and it’s hoped that the regimes can operate throughout the country.
To facilitate this, politicians are convinced that Wirecard AG will open an office in Kiel with the sole intention to offer ePayments. It will give operators a legally and politically protected safe haven. A number of firms have already expressed an interest in taking part in the new German market and it wouldn’t surprise us were Norbert the Narc to actually turn up and try biting their hands off for a share of the market. Don’t get yourself arrested again Norbert. It’s not cool! Betsson is also strongly rumored to be applying for one of the licenses when they’re up for grabs between January and March.
Denmark has seen 68 applications for licenses from 43 operators ahead of the market opening in January. eGaming Review reports that the Danish Gambling Authority confirmed as much when they sat down for a nice shared bowl of Shredded Wheat this morning. Those firms that have been successful with their application will be notified by mid-December and be allowed to start operating less than a month later.
Of the 43 operators that have applied for licenses 25 have applied for both casino and sports betting licenses with 22 opting for just an online casino license. No-one has decided to go for a standalone sports betting license. In terms of companies that will have a presence when the market opens, it’s pretty much guaranteed that Sportingbet will be there after the purchase of two Danish sportsbooks. Danish press reports mention Unibet as one of those that’ll be in the mix.
