Germany may be set to ban online poker under compromise legislation which could see the country jettison legislation which would have legalised and regulated the sector.
Last week one state, Schleswig-Holstein, passed a bill which would have regulated online poker there from January 1, 2012.
However reports are coming out of the country that the other 15 states are in talks to reach a compromise deal on online gaming which, at the moment, could see online poker outlawed.
Analyst Daniel Stewart & Co. said in a note today, “Our understanding of the matter is that the 15 German Lander are in talks regarding a compromise treaty for gambling across Germany. The new proposals in our view are still restrictive though talks appear to be heading in the right direction. Compromise proposals we believe are; still no poker or casino games allowed;
“Furthermore, we believe the state of Saxony could likely break away from the 15 Lander and follow a more pro-online gambling stance similar to that of Schleswig-Holstein, which would put further pressure on the remaining Lander in our view.”
