Unibet, the Kindred Group’s online poker room, is looking forward to exit Germany after the proposed online gambling law comes into effect. In the Unibet community forum and the thread following on the Two Plus Two, it is mentioned that operators are following specific measures to limit German poker players.
The company mentioned that the new gambling tax is expected to affect Germany from 1st July 2021. Therefore, it will have an impact on the poker industry.
The new measure will cover eliminating loyalty programs and eliminating cash games and traditional sit and go. Moreover, the multi-table tournaments and Hexapro having a sit-and-go variant will have an unforeseen future.
Poker Operators facing harsh Rules
In Germany, the online poker industry started facing challenges in introducing new legislation to control online games. According to the new regulations that were out last year, online poker players won’t play four tables, and their deposits shouldn’t cross more than 1000. Moreover, the German government ensured that poker operators should be responsible enough to keep the online poker game under law.
Germany, in recent times, has also levied the highest tax on poker players. This new rule makes Germany an unattractive country for pros. It has also pushed players to leave the country for better opportunities to play poker and bet on the game without any restrictions.
Significant Impact on Poker Operators
With the proposed tax operations, there will be changes in their operations. Some operators are willing to make major changes in bonuses and other rules to make it fully compliant with new regulations. Some of the top operators like Redbet, Betfair, and Ladbrokes have left the country’s operations. Operators like Partypoker, 888poker, GGNetwork, PokerStars, and others are changed according to the new rules.
Unibet, on the other hand, mentioned that it will cover the tax cost but may change shortly.
