A single vote rescued a licensing law from repeal
Supporters of Online gambling legalization in the German state of Schleswig Holstein nearly failed last week when Social Democrats, an opposition party, attempted to launch a repeal of the recently passed regulatory and licensing law.
It was last year when the north German state broke away from the German treaty, (already agreed upon by fifteen provinces) which was restrictive, potentially monopolistic and in conflict with EU law. Instead, it preferred to forge its own, more enlightened internet gambling laws, previously approved by the European Commission.
Despite stiff opposition the new law was passed last September on a knife-edge majority of a single vote. Much the same thing happened last Thursday in the vote on the opposition's attempt to repeal the new gambling law - it survived yet again by a single vote.
Finally, the state government will be able to continue processing a large number of applications for Schleswig Holstein internet gambling licenses, and with a state general election set for April 6 it is likely that over the coming weeks the process will accelerate.
