Lottoland to contest ISP blocking orders by German regulator
Gibraltar-based firm has stated it will defend itself against the order as it finds blocking orders are “not compatible with European law”
Glücksspielbehörde (GGL), Germany’s first-ever national regulator, has ordered three more internet service providers (ISPs) to block Lottoland’s sites.
The five ISPs instructed to block Lottoland’s operations are the top five in terms of highest turnover.
This is the second action the GGL has taken against the operator, following the initial enforcement campaign in July.
The GGL has also forced several payment providers to “terminate cooperation” with Lottoland as part of an effort to remove the operator from the market.
The regulator has said that any ISPs that fail to comply could face fines. GGL board member Benjamin Schwanke said: “Of course, we are aware that we are entering new legal territory and that our actions will be subject to judicial review. The task of the GGL is to consistently implement the State Treaty on gaming and, thus, law and order.
“For us, the priority in combating the black market is enforcement against providers who are not on the official whitelist,” he added.
In response, Lottoland has said it will defend itself against the blocking orders with all legal means, including state liability suits, should damages arise from the orders.
The firm believes that blocking orders are not permitted under German gambling law as the operator has applied for licenses which are still being processed.
Lottoland has been pursuing a German licence since 2017, and in 2020 Lottoland Deutschland GmbH was founded specifically for this purpose.
A spokesperson for Lottoland said: “It is obvious that the state-owned GGL wants to create facts on behalf of the state lottery companies and federal states in order to protect the ultimately remaining lottery monopoly and to eliminate competitors in the lottery sector – for purely fiscal reasons.
“The lottery betting bans are quite obviously not compatible with European law. It speaks for itself that the federal states’ and lottery companies’ own advisors have already determined this in an expert opinion in 2019.”