German online lottery broker Tipp24 AG has recorded an important victory in its legal struggles against the State Treaty on Gaming after a ruling by the Administrative Court of Berlin.
The Court ruled against the Federal State of Berlin late last week in a case brought by the Hamburg-based operator and found that the Treaty contained excessive restrictions on the freedom to provide equal services.
The Treaty was passed in January of this year and made it illegal for private firms to offer online lotteries in Berlin. However, the Court’s verdict means that Tipp24 does not require the permission of officials in the state in order to offer its lottery as long as it has no more than two weekly draws.
This is the first verdict achieved by Tipp24 in its battle against the unpopular legislation and the Court also found that forbidding private firms from offering lottery tips to residents of the Federal State was disproportionate and inapplicable.
Finally, the Court declared that legal restrictions against Tipp24 advertising its services online and through land-based methods contravened valid law.
