Narrow squeak for Schleswig Holstein internet gambling legalisation

Supporters of online gambling legalisation in the German state of Schleswig Holstein nearly saw their hopes dashed last week when the opposition Social Democrats launched an attempt to repeal the recently passed regulatory and licensing law.

Last year the north German state broke away from the restrictive, potentially monopolistic and EU law-conflicted German treaty agreed by its fifteen sister provinces, preferring instead to forge its own more enlightened internet gambling laws, which have received the approval of the European Commission .

Despite stiff opposition the new law was passed on a knife edge majority of a single vote last September.

Much the same thing happened in the vote on the opposition’s attempt to repeal the law last Thursday – the new gambling law survived, but only by a single vote.

The way is now clear for the state government to continue processing what has been reported as a large number of applications for Schleswig Holstein internet gambling licenses, and with a state general election looming on April 6 it is likely that the process will accelerate over the coming weeks.

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