The 3rd amendment to the German State Treaty on Gambling (Glücksspielstaatsvertrag = GlüStV) entered into force on 1 January. This new law removes the cap for licences during the so-called experimental phase for sports betting, which runs until 30 June 2021. 

The competent gambling licensing authority of Hesse, the Darmstadt Regional Council (Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt), has already published the minimum licensing requirements that need to be fulfilled to qualify for a licence. 

In a notice of 2 January 2020, the authority informed that applications may be submitted by post or e-mail. The licence is granted on the condition that the applicant meets the minimum requirements. The licensing procedure is not subject to any deadlines and further information, including a list of FAQs, is available on the website of the authority.

In an open letter dated 15 November 2019, the authority had already pointed out that sports betting providers on the German market would no longer be tolerated without a German sports betting licence. Rather, the German gambling authorities expect that sports betting providers who continue to operate in the German market will have to apply for a licence promptly, otherwise they can expect a prohibition procedure.

Update: The concession notice has also been published in the Official Journal of the EU.