Joint Gaming Authority of the Federal States (GGL) is Ready to Take Over Responsibility for the Regulation of the International Gaming Market from January 1st, 2023

Germany (December 13, 2022) — On December 13th, the decision-making body of the federal states for the tasks of state-wide gaming supervision met for the last time. The members of the so-called gambling college, which met for this purpose in Halle (Saale), symbolically handed over files to the Joint Gaming Authority of the States (GGL) and thus delegated responsibility for regulating the online gaming market as of January 1st, 2023 to the newly created one Authority based in Saalestadt.

GGL board member Ronald Benter: “With this step, an important milestone of the state-wide gaming supervision has been reached. By bundling competencies in GGL, the regulation of the online gambling market will be raised to a new level”.

“We’re ready to go,” adds Benter’s colleague Benjamin Schwanke.

“We have set up the appropriate structures and processes to effectively regulate the online gaming market from January 1st, 2023. In doing so, we can build on the experience of the Gambling College and the expertise in the countries, for which we are very grateful.”

With the completed step, GGL assumes responsibility for the transitional federal states of Saxony-Anhalt (online poker/virtual slot machines), Hesse (sports and horse betting), Rhineland-Palatinate (so-called social lotteries), Hamburg (class lotteries) and Lower Saxony (commercial game brokerage).

The board members: “We are particularly looking forward to taking on around 20 very well-trained employees at the beginning of the year from the Saxony-Anhalt state administration office, which has been temporarily responsible for the licensing and supervisory procedures for virtual slot machines and online poker.” At the beginning of 2023, further experts will be hired.

Jörg Sibbel, State Secretary in the Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of the Interior, Municipal Affairs, Housing and Sport and current Chairman of the GGL Board of Directors, is optimistic about the transfer of responsibilities: “We are pleased that the establishment of the GGL was successful and that the authority is on schedule can carry out its duties as of January 1st, 2023. The GGL can continue to be sure of the support of the federal states afterward.”

GGL is based in Saxony-Anhalt. As a representative of this state, Klaus Zimmermann, State Secretary in the Ministry of the Interior and Sport of the state of Saxony-Anhalt, emphasizes: “The final phase of setting up the joint gaming authority of the federal states has now been completed. We have created the conditions in Saxony-Anhalt to enable GGL to get off to a successful start. With a clear conscience, I hand over the tasks for issuing permits in the areas of online poker and virtual slot machines, which were previously performed by us or the state administration office, to the GGL. Thanks to highly motivated employees, it was possible to regulate this market in a short time and under great pressure. The GGL can build on a solid foundation here. I would like to thank the other federal states for the trust they have placed in Saxony-Anhalt.”

SOURCE: Joint Gaming Authority of the States.