The result of the Placanica case in Italy will help cross-border operating of sports betting, said one of the leading companies involved in coin-operated sports betting terminals.
Udo Nickel, who handles new territories for Austria’s Cashpoint which had thousands of German-based terminals closed down by the German Government protecting its lottery monopoly, feels that Germany will have to re-open to competition as a result.
“This is another step forward. I expect an open market from next year on where betting companies like Cashpoint can buy a licence. Lotto and Toto in Germany are under enormous pressure from the sports organisations because their income is going down every month.”
Martin Arendts, a lawyer in Grünwald, Germany, who works with a number of gambling companies, said: “The decision will open up the European market - certainly the German market.”
