Bet3000 sues GGL after licence revocation - betting shops allowed to open

After the sports betting provider Bet3000 disappeared from the German whitelist on 25 July 2024, there was initially a great deal of guesswork and many irritated faces. In the meantime, more and more information is coming to light in this case. It is now clear that the Joint Gaming Authority (GGL) has withdrawn the provider's sports betting licence. But what is the background to this and how is Bet3000 dealing with it?

Just over a week ago, we at GambleJoe speculated in an article about whether Bet3000 would be withdrawing from the German market. Since 25 July 2024, the corresponding entry for IBA Entertainment Ltd has been missing from Table 7 ("Sports betting") in the official whitelist of the Joint Gambling Authority of the Federal States (GGL), meaning that the operator of Bet3000 is currently not permitted to offer or broker sports betting online in Germany.

Licence withdrawal: Why did Bet3000 lose its sports betting licence?

Initially, it was still unclear whether Bet3000 had voluntarily surrendered its sports betting licence and was leaving the German gambling market at its own request or whether the gambling authority had withdrawn the licence. It is now clear that the GGL has withdrawn the sports betting licence. The reason for the licence withdrawal is said to have been non-compliance with certain technical regulations in online sales and the associated unreliability. Specifically, the licence was probably due to a technical problem with the connection to the mandatory cross-state gambling supervision system, LUGAS for short.

What is somewhat irritating about the sudden licence withdrawal from the gambling provider's point of view is the fact that the technical defect had already been rectified several months ago. In addition, the gambling authority immediately withdrew the licence without prior consultation with IBA Entertainment Ltd. and did not set a deadline so that the operator would have had a chance to rectify the problem on its own responsibility. According to the law, the GGL should have set such a deadline in advance before the licence could be withdrawn in a second step.

The German gambling authority based in Halle has not yet commented on the case.

IBA Entertainment Ltd. takes legal action against GGL

As has now become known, IBA Entertainment Ltd. has filed an urgent appeal against the licence withdrawal via its legal representation in Germany. In the view of the Bet3000 operator, the decision by the gambling authority to withdraw the sports betting licence is unlawful. The Malta-based gambling provider is particularly annoyed that, in addition to the online offering, the more than 200 brick-and-mortar betting shops also had to close with immediate effect and were affected by the licence withdrawal, although there had never been any technical problems here.

The official German-language press release from IBA Entertainment Ltd. can be accessed online. Among others, the director of the gaming company, Simon Springer, comments on the case as follows:

"In my view, there is insufficient basis for GGL's decision to revoke our licence. (...) After discussions with several specialised law firms, we are convinced that we will soon be able to achieve a positive outcome. I would like to thank everyone involved for their understanding and patience during this difficult time".

First partial success: Stationary betting shops allowed to reopen

On Tuesday, 6 August 2024, Bet3000 was then able to celebrate its first partial success. As the provider announced on its website, the competent Higher Administrative Court of Magdeburg ruled in favour of Bet3000, meaning that at least the stationary sales in the shops may be reopened. In this context, the company was granted interim legal protection by the Higher Administrative Court. On the same day, the GGL added IBA Entertainment Ltd. to the official whitelist again. However, this only applies to the distribution channel "stationary" and not "online".

In the meantime, most of Bet3000's 200 or so stationary betting shops in Germany have reopened. This means that the approximately 1,000 jobs in the shops are secure, at least for the time being. The online offering, on the other hand, is still not available. Apart from Bet3000, only Tipster Ltd. has lost its German sports betting licence in the past.

Bet3000 offline - what alternatives are there?

It can currently be assumed that it will be some time before a decision is made on the future of Bet3000 in Germany. Players will have to decide on an alternative during this time. On GambleJoe, we currently list 9 sports betting providers with a German licence where betting fans can play legally and safely:

Get to know attractive sports betting providers at GambleJoe!

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