Following the ban on commercial sports betting operators imposed by the German Federal State Premiers' Conference (Ministerpräsidentenkonferenz), the German Football Association (DFB) and the German Football League have resolved to further pursue their own plans for a liberalisation of this sector. Representatives of both football bodies have formed a joint working group that has been commissioned with elaborating the details of a concrete proposal planned to be presented shortly.
The German football community hopes and expects that, by liberalising sports betting, additional revenues will be made available for professional and grass roots sports, while at the same time addressing the gambling addiction aspect. In no way is this aimed at reducing the funding for amateur sports in general and the newly-established German Olympic Sports Association (DOSB) in particular. On the contrary, their role will be strengthened by making the sports betting sector a viable and future-oriented business. The DOSB is expressly welcome to actively contribute to finding a market-oriented solution.
While both the DFB and the League are prepared to continue their close and proven co-operation with the state sports betting provider ODDSET, one of the preconditions for such a partnership would be for ODDSET to be allowed to act freely and uninhibitedly, i.e. not to be reduced to being a mere tool in the state premiers' efforts to combat compulsive addiction.
The working group has also encouraged the DFB Presidium and the League Association Board to recommend the (sub-)regional FAs and the clubs, respectively, to accept offers for co-operation from sports betting operators in possession of a licence issued by a EU member state. In fact, they condemn the double standards applied by the federal states' governments and have pledged to support all clubs, which - after years of toleration – suddenly see themselves threatened by injunction orders.
The DFB and the League Association believe the decision adopted by the German Federal States Premiers' Conference is misguided, the crucial question being whether its implementation is, indeed, compatible with the German constitution and EU legislation.
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[bild1]Following the ban on commercial sports betting operators imposed by the German Federal State Premiers' Conference (Ministerpräsidentenkonferenz), the German Football Association (DFB) and the German Football League have resolved to further pursue their own plans for a liberalisation of this sector. Representatives of both football bodies have formed a joint working group that has been commissioned with elaborating the details of a concrete proposal planned to be presented shortly.
The German football community hopes and expects that, by liberalising sports betting, additional revenues will be made available for professional and grass roots sports, while at the same time addressing the gambling addiction aspect. In no way is this aimed at reducing the funding for amateur sports in general and the newly-established German Olympic Sports Association (DOSB) in particular. On the contrary, their role will be strengthened by making the sports betting sector a viable and future-oriented business. The DOSB is expressly welcome to actively contribute to finding a market-oriented solution.
While both the DFB and the League are prepared to continue their close and proven co-operation with the state sports betting provider ODDSET, one of the preconditions for such a partnership would be for ODDSET to be allowed to act freely and uninhibitedly, i.e. not to be reduced to being a mere tool in the state premiers' efforts to combat compulsive addiction.
The working group has also encouraged the DFB Presidium and the League Association Board to recommend the (sub-)regional FAs and the clubs, respectively, to accept offers for co-operation from sports betting operators in possession of a licence issued by a EU member state. In fact, they condemn the double standards applied by the federal states' governments and have pledged to support all clubs, which - after years of toleration – suddenly see themselves threatened by injunction orders.
The DFB and the League Association believe the decision adopted by the German Federal States Premiers' Conference is misguided, the crucial question being whether its implementation is, indeed, compatible with the German constitution and EU legislation.
