Berlin/Bonn. The Commissioner of the German Federal Goverment for Drug and Addiction Policies, Burkhard Blienert, will make an overarching opening contribution at this year’s 8th Federal Gambling Congress in Berlin.
It will be the start of an exciting and diverse programme. Almost traditionally, the Congress will start with an overview panel. What has happened in the last twelve months in the online gambling market and in the terrestrial sector? Where do the current unresolved issues lie and are there solutions?
This Overview will be followed by a detailed look at the following topics.
Numerous media reports, such as the most recent one in SPIEGEL, have sustainably sharpened the view of a rampant black market. A high-ranking representative of the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of the Interior will also be present.
The blurring boundaries between gaming and gambling and their associated dangers, especially for children and young people, are a challenge for those with political responsibility. Members of the German Bundestag, such as Fabian Gramling, Linda Heitmann and Lena Werner, together with legal experts, will look for answers and discuss possible solutions to this issue.
The panel on the irritating topic of advertising, with special focus on online gambling offers, should also be exciting. The demands of both the Senator for the Interior of Bremen and the Federal Government Commissioner for Addiction and Drugs, represented on the panel by the head of his staff, Dr Jörg Pietsch, have fuelled the discussion. A political counterpoint was set, for example, by Tobias Krull, member of the state parliament.
At the european level, Malta has caused a sensation in the gambling sector’s regulatory discussion with its „Bill 55“. However, this also touches on fundamental questions of the European legal architecture. These aspects are the focus of another panel.
The finale of this federal congress, so to speak, will deal with the evaluation of the Gaming Ordinance and first evaluation approaches in the online gaming sector in Germany.
As usual, the Federal Congress will begin with an evening reception on October 4th.
You can find a detailed overview of all speakers and topics here.
