Wednesday 17th September 2008 Bwin Loses Germany Appeal
Austrian online gambling operator Bwin Interactive Entertainment AG has suffered a setback after a German court upheld a ban on it offering services in the nation via Bwin.com.
The Cologne Regional Court dismissed an appeal last week from Bwin for a delay in instituting a ban on it offering services in Germany while it filed an appeal with the Federal Court of Justice. The initial prohibition was a result of a previous case and German state lottery operators are now rumoured to be preparing to seek six-figure fines against the Gibraltar-licensed firm if it continues offering poker, sportsbetting and casino games to Germans through Bwin.com.
“We very much welcome this judgement,” said Winfried Wortmann, Executive Director for the West German Lottery.
“The Cologne Regional Court has, as did the Federal Court of Justice earlier, rejected Bwin’s objections to the enforcement as ungrounded. As a result, the legal prohibition of Bwin.com’s illegal Internet offering can be carried out. We will be asking the Higher Federal Court in Cologne to take measures to make sure the enforcement takes place.”
Bwin stated that the Federal Court of Justice could make a ruling on its original appeal within two years but any fines could seriously impact its bottom line. It said that it intends to carry on offering services to Germans under its Gibraltar and East German licenses.
'We and our lawyers are confident that we will ultimately win this case,' said Kevin O’Neil, Spokesperson for Bwin.
Source: OnlineCasinoNews
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