EGBA slams Germany’s “ineffective and detrimental” payments blocking
Secretary general Maarten Haijer says decision to ban unnamed payments provider will do little to solve country’s regulatory issues
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) yesterday hit back at a German state’s decision to ban an unnamed payments provider from processing online casino payments, describing the move as “ineffective and detrimental”.
The industry trade body said the Lower Saxony’s cease-and-desist order against the international provider was a dangerous precedent and not a legitimate solution for the problems of Germany’s gambling framework.
“Restrictive or prohibitive measures, such as payment blocking measures, are an attempt to create artificial walls around online markets and can be ineffective and detrimental to player protection,” Maarten Haijer, secretary general of the EGBA, said.
Payment blockings are not a solution to flaws in Germany's online gambling regulation – a more fundamental rethink is needed
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— EGBA (@EUgambling) June 20, 2019
He added: “That’s because online gambling is, like any other online consumer market, consumer-driven and players can easily search around the internet for alternative products, brands or the payment means they prefer.
“Trying to limit the options available to players will not change this reality and – by restricting their choices – might be counterproductive because it will push players towards unlicensed or unregulated websites, where they might be exposed to inadequate consumer protections and chances of redress.”
Earlier this week, the German state of Lower Saxony announced it had blocked an as-yet unnamed payments provider from processing payments from some online casinos and secondary lotteries.
It had also pledged to introduce more restrictive payment blockings in the future, with the anti-casino measures applying across the entire country.