The fine was issued after an investigation revealed that the license holder had breached rules on advertising. The GGL confirmed the fine but has yet to publish full financial details on the penalty stating that it was a five-figure sum. The regulator also refrained from naming the license holder in its announcement.
German Regulator Issues First Fine to Online Gambling Operator, the license holder advertised its services and products on a sports website that also listed illegal online gambling providers which are not licensed to operate in Germany. This is strictly against advertising regulations since only German legal betting sites are allowed to be promoted.Speaking of the fine CEO Ronald Benter said:
German Regulator Issues First Fine to Online Gambling OperatorBoard member Benjamin Schwanke went on to add:
German Regulator Issues First Fine to Online Gambling Operator providers cannot have any interest in advertising on sites that also advertise illegal gambling. This damages the reputation of the providers”.In a later announcement, the GGL revealed that it was making good progress with online gambling license applications but that issues with delayed security deposits and defective online slots has led to a number of delays. The announcement also reveals that the GGL remains hopeful that German courts will uphold their legal attempts to block local consumers from accessing illegal online gambling websites.