14-12-2006 Germany to postpone the signing of the new state treaty on gambling

Christian Wulff, Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, told journalists at a press conference in Berlin that the German states have agreed to sign early next year the proposal to extend the monopoly on gambling until 2011 and notify the decision to the European Commission to examine its compliance with EU obligations.

A German economic research institute said in a report that as many as 15,000 German people could lose their jobs if plans to uphold the state betting monopoly go through and private betting companies are effectively banned from operating in Germany.

Earlier this week, German lottery operator Fluxx joined Tipp24 in saying that it may have to abandon its home market if the country's 16 states pass the law upholding the monopoly on gambling. Fluxx's CFO Stefan Haenel said that the company would not give up on Germany without a fight, but warned that it would be going to use opportunities outside the country. Tipp24 last month said it was preparing to enter at least one other European market to lessen its dependence on Germany.