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Betway, Bet-at-Home and Happybet are among online gambling companies getting their German sports-betting licences refreshed for 2023, alleviating concerns that a committee of gambling regulators would block a significant number of renewals.
A January 1 update of the Joint Gaming Authority of the Federal States' (GGL) revealed that 32 gambling brands either had their sports-betting licences approved or renewed for an additional five years beyond their December 31, 2022 expiration.
As of that date, the GGL took over responsibility for sports betting from the Darmstadt Regional Council and for approving online slots and poker applications from the Saxony-Anhalt administrative office.
Gambling lawyers had been concerned that the Gambling Committee, a group consisting of regulators from all 16 German states that had greater regulatory responsibility before this year, might veto renewal of a significant number of sports-betting licences.
One attorney, Yannick Skulski of Hambach & Hambach, called it 鈥渋ndeed good news鈥 that nearly all previous sports-betting licensees gained renewal, along with some new applicants.
Online slots and poker licences are coming more slowly, with only 22 slots licences approved, and three poker licences.
Malta-based Skill on Net is the most recent online slots licence approval.
Skulski said more approvals should come in the next few weeks, as some applicants need only deposit a required security, of at least 鈧5m, which is a formal process that can take several weeks or even months.
The Gambling Committee also ran out of time to deal with some applications last year, but now it is in control, the GGL is likely to act quickly to make decisions, he said.
Sports-betting licensees include 888 Germany, Entain鈥檚 bwin and Ladbrokes brands, Novomatic鈥檚 Admiral Sportwetten, Winamax and Tipico.
Others include Happybet, which is part of Italy鈥檚 Snaitech.
It reported a 26 percent gain in revenue in the first half of 2022 over the same period a year earlier, the company said. Snaitech itself is owned by London-listed Playtech.
Pferdewetten.de, based in Dusseldorf, also obtained a licence for its sportwetten.de brand.
The Betway brand, which is part of Super Group, got a licence, along with Bet-at-Home, which is listed on the Frankfurt exchange and is part of the Betclic group.
Its shares have dropped 64 percent over the past 12 months as it has been forced to withdraw from Austria as online casino operators have been hit with a deluge of lawsuits seeking refunds of losses.
