The writing may be on the wall for the German treaty on gambling, drawn up by the country’s 16 provinces which have considerable powers over the country’s arcade industry.
The First Civil Division of the German Supreme Court, the Bundesgerichthof, is to rule on the legality of the State Treaty on Gambling in parallel proceedings regarding private gaming and betting operators.
It will hold a hearing on November 12 to assess whether the sports betting licensing regime under the latest version of the Treaty can be considered compatible with EU law.
The challenge against the Treaty on its restrictive attitudes towards sports betting may have beneficial ramifications for the street market in AWP machines. The Treaty, the clauses of which are now beginning to be enforced by individual provinces against arcades, is due to be completely introduced by 2017.
It threatens to close down most of the multi-licensed arcades and reduce the number of AWPs operating in the country by as much as 80,000 units. The court hearing on November 12 may offer some relief.
