German-focused private sports betting operators contributed record tax revenues to the country’s coffers in 2014, despite there still being no resolution to the award of National sports betting concessions by the State of Hesse (see previous reports).
German sports betting association, Deutsche Sportwettenverbands (DSWV) claims most of the tax revenues derived from sports betting were generated by private operators.
Figures released by the German Federal Ministry of Finance reported an increase in sports betting turnover of almost 20 percent to Euro 4.5 billion of which 97 percent was generated by private operators the DSWV said.
Betting taxes fattened the Treasury’s coffers to the tune of a record Euro 226 million in 2014.
On the back of the Ministry’s figures the DSWV, led by president Mathias Dahms, called for resolution to the stalled sports betting concession process, saying: “Our members pay the lion’s share of taxes and have applied for more than two years for concessions. This process must now finally come to a conclusion.”
German sport backs the DSWV’s call saying significant sponsorship and advertising revenue opportunities are being missed because of legal uncertainty surrounding concessions.