13 February 2008

Football club VfB Stuttgart files suit against German Interstate Treaty on Gambling

by Martin Arendts

The president of VfB Stuttgart, Erwin Staudt, announced in a press conference in Frankfurt today that the football club had filed suit against the new Interstate Treaty on Gambling. The League Association (Ligaverband) of the German Bundesliga supported this move. Staudt argued for asking the Administrative Court of Stuttgart for protection: "We are convinced that the Interstate Treaty on Gambling is unconstitutional and not in conformity with EU law."

Dr. Reinhard Rauball, president of the German Bundesliga, added: "The monopoly on sports betting is a significant disadvantage for the German professional football in the international competition." Football clubs in other EU member states, like Spain, Italy and Austria, could advertise for private bookmakers. German football clubs would loose revenues of 100 to 300 m Euros each year. Due to the state monopoly, VfB was prohibited to advertise bwin, a listed bookmaker. Also Werder Bremen and 1860 München lost bwin as a football shirt sponsor.

Therefore, Rauball argued in favour of a liberalised market system. All parties concerned should discuss a prospective market model.

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