Private sports betting should be allowed in the future: the federal states have agreed on a time-limited new regulation of the sports betting market. This includes a liberalization of private providers of sports betting, which are currently in a legal gray area, as well as an opening of the market.

Hamburg's First Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) spoke after the Conference of Prime Ministers in Berlin of a "time gain". Because the countries continued to work on a final solution - as part of a comprehensive reform of the State Treaty on Gambling.

So far, sports betting is only tolerated by private providers such as Tipico and Bwin - this also applies to their online offers. The Gambling Treaty of 2012 was supposed to award 20 licenses to private sports betting companies. Due to legal appeals the procedure has failed so far.

Licenses valid until 2021

Only in Schleswig-Holstein are currently eight private providers legal. The country had its own betting licenses awarded before it joined the gambling contract. Also legal are bets at the state provider Oddset.

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The new regulation should come into force on 1 January 2020 and apply until 30 June 2021 - then the State Treaty on gaming expires. Licenses for private sports betting providers should apply from the beginning of 2020 for one and a half years. But there are conditions that are intended to protect players and minors.

"In the future it will apply: Who adheres to the rules, may also offer sports betting," said the Hessian Interior Minister Peter Beuth (CDU) the news agency dpa. Hessen is responsible for licensing. "Most customers in Germany are not aware that the previous sports betting offers in this country in a gray area and formally illegal take place."

However, the upcoming comprehensive reform of the State Treaty on Gambling is not just about sports betting but, more importantly, the future of the state betting monopoly and the possible regulation of online casino games and poker. Such online gambling games are illegal so far. The countries are arguing about legalization.