Progress of sorts is being made in the tortuous process of issuing betting licences in Germany. But it is definitely a case of one step forward, one step backwards, and a step to the side too.
Mid-November 2013 has seen all 43 of the second phase applicants sent information about how the process will proceed. Still no licences have been issued and none look likely to be issued before the end of 2013.
Back in March 2013 around 18 licence applicants were invited to interviews with the regulator. At the time it was assumed that these selected applicants were in line for the licences on offer, much to the disgruntlement of those operators not invited for interviews. But now it appears that no operator is in a favoured position and that none of the applications was completely satisfactory in meeting all the criteria. All 43 applicants will be sent specific details before January 2014 as to how their application needs to be updated and improved. The applicants will then have three months to complete the changes. All of this could take until April 2014.
There will still only be 20 licences issued but a ranking system will be applied if more than 20 applicants meet the licensing criteria. There will then be a ‘cooling off’ period of around two weeks before licences are granted to the successful applicants.
(a) Some applicants for a Federal licence have been invited for interview, others have not. GBGC understands no further interviews will be held. Are interviewed applicants at an advantage over those not called for interview under the first version of the licensing process, especially as none of the applicants, interviewed or not, were deemed to have met all the criteria?
(b) Are licence holders in Schleswig-Holstein in an advantageous position when it comes to winning a Federal licence?
(a) This is already a ongoing issue of the principle of “coherence” at EU level – having differing regulatory regimes in place within the same country