UK-based online gambling giant bet365 will be deactivating its Germany-facing online casino next week, on Monday, December 30.
It is understood the move is in anticipation of regulatory changes in Germany that will come into effect on January 1, 2020, not least the requirement for operators to apply for licence applications in the state of Hesse.
The Stoke-based operator has instructed its affiliates to stop promoting the German casino site, saying that “any promotion of bet365’s non-sports products” must be removed. However, the bet365 online casino will remain available in neighbouring Austria.
Germany is looking to finally build a coherent regulatory framework for online betting and gaming in the country, with interim regulations likely to be in place and being enforced from January 1.
The temporary regulations are expected to remain in place for around 18 months, with a permanent regulatory structure expected to be complete and implemented by the summer of 2021.
Earlier in 2019, payment service providers in the country were pressured to stop accepting transactions in certain online gaming verticals. A move that saw PayPal withdraw its online casino payment services in Germany.