not primarily the costs of litigation, but rather the chance of new licence opportunities being lost. Tipico is the market leader in sports betting in Germany and is favourite to win a licence to operate online games in addition to sports betting in that market. However, the German State Treaty on Gambling states that “neither the applicant nor any of its affiliates can supply or mediate illegal/unlicensed games of chance.” Continuing to operate illegally jeopardises Tipico’s German licence hopes and presents a bigger risk than the sum of all the litigation in Austria combined.
Assessments are being conducted by operators into the risks of continuing to offer online games of chance in Austria, as opposed to the rewards for exiting the market with their reputations intact. The threat of the legal assault from Advofin is
not inconsiderable, but it’s the publicity from the issue that’s more harmful than the claims themselves. Legal firms acting on a ‘no-win, no-fee,’ basis are only seeking to support VIP customers with substantial claims that make their efforts worthwhile. Claiming 37 per cent from small losses is not on the agenda.
The big problem is that the Austrian press is having a field-day with the stories, which mix human interest with political intrigue, gambling and unscrupulous illegal foreign corporations – a potent cocktail. Following on the heels of what is known in Austria as the “Ibiza Affair,” in which former Vice- Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache was caught selling influence to journalists posing as wealthy Russian investors, the illegal online gambling boom is garnering national attention on a comparable scale. Though unlikely to bring down the
The big problem is that the Austrian press is
having a field-day with the stories, which mix human interest with political intrigue, gambling and unscrupulous illegal foreign corporations – a potent cocktail.
current government this time around, the fact that Mr. Strache quashed a planned bill that would have enabled authorities to block websites for users in Austria, has raised concerns of further collusion during his time in office.
Mr. Strache’s sports ministry had planned to issue a call for tenders for new online licenses and direct additional income into the sports budget. The position of the government on the issue,
WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS P23
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