47 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 If dangerous gaming behavior occurs, the GGL has the right to block the player. The ban would apply to all legal German casinos, including land-based gambling halls. A Fluid Process: The arrival of the new GlüNeuRStv last year brought with it the ability to launch online gaming. However, the process of approving licenses has been slow, with only a handful of operators given permission to launch. They have been restricted, only able to offer online slots. It wasn’t until last month that additional online gaming options, beginning with online poker through Entain, began to appear. At the same time, the framework provides for a maximum deposit limit of €1,000 (US$1,064) per month for online gambling. The GGL will monitor all deposits and withdrawals through OASIS and a “limit file.” Privacy advocates have blasted the use of the limit file. On the other hand, certain consumer groups have accused politicians of catering to the gambling industry by not introducing more restrictive regulations. Despite the friction, the GlüNeuRStv and the GGL are moving forward. Even so, lawmakers have left the door open to update the treaty at will at any time. Ronald Benter, CEO of GGL, explained: " We are well prepared and able to work. With the GGL, Germany will for the first time have a central supervisory and enforcement authority for gambling on the Internet." There is still a long way to go in the area of individual gaming licenses for virtual slot machines and online poker. By the end of 2022, almost 600 of the nearly 3,500 individual game permits applied for had been checked and approved. "We have to conclude that 100% of the gaming permits submitted are not allowable," said Ronald Benter. “Often it fails due to the simplest of requirements, for example if there are only English instructions for the game. Here we expect better coordination between the providers and studios.” In the area of sports and horse betting, most of the applications received have also been approved, but individual bets still have to be checked by the GGL. Benter: " Our goal for 2023 in this area is to complete all licensing procedures, including gaming and betting testing, and thus create an attractive legal gaming market." A look back at 6 months of fighting illegal gambling: Benjamin Schwanke sums it up: “ The federal states had hoped for more pressure and more success in combating the illegal gambling market with the establishment of the GGL and the bundling of resources. In fact, these effects can already be seen.” Since taking over responsibility for combating illegal gambling on July 1, 2022, almost 150 cases of illegal gambling and almost as many cases of advertising illegal gambling have been filed. In the course of this, around 1150 illegal gambling websites were checked. Numerous unauthorized offers and the advertising for them were removed after contacting GGL. The GGL has already started more than 60 prohibition proceedings and filed more than 30 criminal charges. A large part of it was taken over by the GGL from the Saxony-Anhalt state administration office on July 1, 2022 and processed further. In addition to the classic enforcement instruments, GGL is also using payment blocking and network blocking instruments for the first time. Schwanke said: "We attach great importance to transparent communication with the payment service providers and the Internet providers. We are also seeing initial successes. The majority of payment service providers are withdrawing from business with illegal gambling providers. Deposits with illegal gambling providers are becoming increasingly difficult if not impossible.” The first positive developments can also be seen with the new instrument of network blocking included in the 2021 State Treaty on Gaming. On the basis of the new legal basis, 6 procedures have already been initiated against the largest Internet service providers. (See the GGL press release of October 7, 2022) The affected websites have not yet been blocked because the GGL's administrative files are still being reviewed by the courts. In December 2022, however, 2 administrative courts already considered the means of blocking the network to be permissible in summary proceedings. The affected provider must now block access to the illegal offer. "This is a first milestone on the way to the judicial confirmation of the network blocking," says Benjamin Schwanke . “ The first successes in the area of enforcement and the instruments of payment blocking and network blocking show that we are on the right track with our approach. What is absolutely clear, however, is that there is still a very long way to go.” Goals for 2023 The focus of the GGL as a supervisory authority is the consistent monitoring of the approved providers for all types of gambling on the Internet that can be licensed. "We will revoke permits again if we find serious violations," said Ronald Benter. “ Because our goal is a level playing field for all providers. We want to ensure that the business model of offering illegal or non-compliant gambling on the Internet is not worthwhile in the long term”. “We will also proceed consistently when it comes to enforcement: Every provider who is not on the whitelist will be picked up, no matter how big it is,” adds Schwanke. In this regard, the GGL supports the goal of setting up a special public prosecutor's office in Halle (Saale) in order to enable rapid enforcement against illegal gambling providers. Another important topic for the next year will also be creating transparency for players about which player protection measures have to be observed by the providers, such as the panic button. The further development of addiction prevention, in particular with regard to the agreement on early detection systems for gambling addiction, as well as market observation and the awarding of research contracts are goals for 2023. Germany’s Gaming Regulator Approves Massive Number of Operator Licenses If the latest information on the website of Germany’s new gaming regulator is correct, the online gaming market is about to explode. It took over a year for authorities to approve 12 licenses for online slots. But it now seems like a list of 50 is about to find approval. PATRIK HOFBAUER President and CEO, Svenska Spel 'Towards a better year 2023' We are leaving behind a 2022 that was in many respects a gloomy year. A senseless war in Europe that destroyed the lives of millions of Ukrainians and ended a long period of global growth. As a result of the war, there was also an energy crisis and rising inflation, which made it even harder for many who were already having a hard time. Against this background, it may seem less important to talk about the gaming industry and its challenges going forward. But games at the same time stand for something that is very human: Our need for entertainment, excitement – and to be allowed to dream! In addition, we contribute to society. Tax revenues from the Swedish gambling industry strengthen the treasury in difficult times as well as in good ones. Svenska Spel delivers its entire profit to the owner, the state. During the 25 years that Svenska Spel has existed, SEK 107 billion has gone back to society . But it is also about what we want to achieve going forward. Svenska Spel's goal is to offer entertainment while minimizing the risks associated with gambling. In 2023, we want to be even sharper in that work, more precise. We will look further into how we can strengthen protection for the vulnerable group of young adults. In 2022, we saw very good results when we lowered the general maximum deposit limit for 18-19-year-
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