Entain has become the first operator to get the greenlight for its poker product from the State Administrative Office of Saxony-Anhalt, the entity responsible for the licensing process in Germany’s re-regulated gambling market.
Although Germany’s whitelist has yet to be updated, Entain said it has been granted all five licences it applied for, enabling it to offer gaming under its bwin, Ladbrokes and Sportingbet brands, and poker under bwin and Ladbrokes.
The new awards are in addition to Entain’s existing licences to offer online sports betting under each brand and will enable the company to enhance and develop its position as a market leader in Germany.Entain’s chief governance officer Robert Hoskin said: “We’re delighted to now have our licences for gaming and poker services in the regulated German market, enabling us to offer and market them to our customers.
Entain chief governance officer Robert Hoskin: “It is an important and welcome step towards achieving the goal of a fully regulated online betting and gaming market in Germany.”
“Only through such regulation and its enforcement will we avoid the reality of customers going to the black market where there are none of the safeguards that reputable operators such as Entain guarantee,” he added.
Germany’s re-regulated gaming market has proved controversial since it opened on 1 July 2021.
Operators have repeatedly criticised Germany’s slow licensing process, while the initial dominance of the Gauselmann Group also raised eyebrows among the wider iGaming industry.