As of July 1st Unibet will no longer be accessible from Germany. That's what Kindred Group – the company behind Unibet, announced on June 17th.
Kindred pointed out legislative hurdles as a main reason for taking the “difficult decision” to cease operations in Germany. According to the operator, the German gambling authorities need to update the entire legislative process, address the slow licensing procedures and make the regulated market attractive to operators willing to serve players and resist the competition of the offshore casinos.
Earlier this year, Unibet submitted an application, but it is still pending, which makes its presence on the German market unsustainable. In addition, German licensees have to comply with strict regulations, which makes it difficult to cover their expenses.
The max bet limit is €1 for slots, the max loss limit is €1000, although a few exceptions apply. In addition, the Fourth State Treaty on Gambling imposed a 5.3% tax on turnover and as a result was strongly criticized by operators.
Kindred elaborated: “Our long-term strategic direction sets out locally regulated markets as the core engine for our growth, however, license application procedures, license conditions and the regulatory environment need to be transparent, sustainable and financially viable for a market to be competitive.”
The German site of Unibet will be accessible until June 30th to allow players to withdraw or use their funds. New deposits will not be accepted.
Although it is leaving the German market, Kindred is not staying idle. A company representative said that it would focus on other projects, strengthen its positions on the North American market and ink new partnerships. In the beginning on June, Kindred reached an important milestone and secured a license to re-enter the Netherlands online gambling market.
If you are looking for another safe casino to play in Germany – check our guide about Best German Online Casinos.
