Germany: TV alliance wants sports betting

Several German TV broadcasters are joining forces to exert pressure for political liberalization of the sports betting market. DSF, Premiere, RTL and Pro Sieben Sat.1 have formed a "Betting Working Group". The alliance has its sights set primarily on the meeting of the Minister Presidents on June 22, 2006, at which a uniform line is to be agreed in implementing the ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court. This court had ruled that the monopoly of the state sports betting provider Oddset was unconstitutional. The market must be re-regulated by 2007 - either by maintaining the state monopoly and effectively combating gambling and betting addiction or by opening up the market to private betting providers.