Novomatic exits German online gambling market

According to a Reuters news agency report this week Austrian online gambling games supplier Novomatic has followed Merkur in exiting the German online gambling market with effect from end December.

A company spokesman used Reuters to call for more regulatory clarity in German gambling laws, presumably the reason for Novomatic’s departure. He said there was a need for German regulators to revamp online gambling rules as the current situation is “unclear”.

Our readers may recall that in September Novomatic shelved plans for a Euro 5 billion initial public offering on the Frankfurt bourse due to uncertainty over new regulations regarding gambling halls in Germany.

Reuters reports that Novomatic generates around 40 percent of its sales from gambling equipment, the rest stemming from operating gambling halls. Online activities only account for a small percentage of overall sales.

Confirming that it has stopped providing games and services to German online gambling operators, the Novomatic spokesman observed:

“Unfortunately there are many providers which continue to place copied gaming content unlawfully on the German market without having relevant agreements with us”.

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