The European Union has offered a compromise to the German states that will allow them to maintain the monopolies they have over lotteries and casinos, only if they agree to open the sports betting market to private companies.
Der Spiegel has quoted some sources that claim that in case that the 16 German states allow the sport betting companies to operate, then the Commission will not be against the continuation of the state monopolies of lottery and casinos.
The 16 states have said that they plan to declare online bets illegal, but they still have not defined a law proposal. This plan has worried companies such as the Austrian sport betting company Bwin and the German Tipp24 and Fluxx.
Representatives of the German states have planned to get together with some authorities of the Commission in the beginning of July. The EU opposes to the plans that these states have to prohibit Internet gambling.