28 September 2009

Administrative Court of Mainz assesses constitutional deficits of sports betting monopoly

by Martin Arendts, Attorney-at-Law

The Administrative Court of Mainz, Germany, noted yet again constitutional deficits of the state’s sports betting monopoly. In the case at hand, the judges therefore granted exemption from judicial execution to the defendant (order of 4 September 2009, file number: 6 L 770/09.MZ).

Thus the defendent, represented by ARENDTS ANWÄLTE, may continue to collect and forward offers of sports bets to a bookmaker, licensed in the EU member state Austria. This may happen under the usual requirements, i.e. to point out possible addictiveness and to prohibit the participation of minors. Hence the plaintiff, the State Rhineland Palatinate, was unsuccessful in its attempt to amend an interim order in favour of the betting shop, issued in 2007.

The Court pointed out that the monopoly organiser of sports betting, Lotto Rheinland-Pfalz GmbH, does not meet the requirements as formulated in § 10 Abs. 3 GlüStV (Interstate Treaty on Gambling), or the criteria outlined by the Federal Constitutional Court in its decision from March 28th 2006. The aforementioned statute and court decision, both highlighted that it was necessary to reduce the number of receiving offices effectively, in order to comply with § 1 GlüStV. The state’s legislation, however, only specified an effective reduction of receiving offices till 2011. The Court therefore made it clear that this would not suffice. Furthermore it disapproved of the exact wording of the satute in question, as it only provided for a vague guideline.

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