Germany Bans online gambling - 01 January 2008 - By Milly M.
Bloomberg reports that: "Online gambling will be banned in Germany as of Jan. 1 after German states ratified an accord that preserves the country's state monopoly for lotteries and most forms of betting.
"At least 13 of Germany's 16 states have submitted the ratification documents, Eric Braum, a spokesman for the Hesse government, which monitors the process, said in an interview today. ``That's the required majority and we expect to have all the rest coming in by New Year's Eve.'
"…The new rules ban any form of Web-based gambling or brokering of games over the Internet. The states may order Internet service providers to block Web sites of illegal betting operations and banks to stop money transfers to them. The rules' definition of illegal gaming includes placing a bet from German territory over the Web with a company based outside Germany."
Whats really confusing though is that no one is talking about it in Germany right now. I'm in Germany at the moment and haven't heard anything about this ban not online or from the national media who I am sure are in cahoots with the government. I have only heard about this from the English press. Very strange indeed. Anyway we'll watch the story closely and see how it unfolds.









