by Mario Alfonsi | Published on Jan 28, 2012 | Updated on Jan 28, 2012The world is well aware of the dire online poker situation that exists in the United States, but few people know a similar situation is looming over the heads of Germans too. 15 of the 16 German states, or Länder, have recently voted and approved a new law that will essentially put a stop to any and all online casino and online poker services. Not only would it be similar to the situation in the United States, but possibly even worse because there will be absolutely zero poker; even with the ban US players can still play at sites like Carbon Poker and Lock Poker.The situation is not done and dusted because the law needs to be voted on one additional time and then needs to be approved by the EU, which some people think is not going to happen. In addition to doing away with all German online poker and casino games, Germany will have sports betting regulated to a high degree, so much so that there will only be a few providers in the country. Even though it sounds like Germans will strictly enforce their gaming laws, many feel that it will simply turn into a situation similar to the United States where even though poker may be illegal, there are still plenty of sites that operate there freely. The current law regarding online gaming in Germany expires in March of this year, so players there are waiting patiently to see what their fate will be. Although it makes little to no sense, this is yet another example of a nation’s government killing off a very profitable industry with no reason behind it. As we await the official results of the law’s legality, we also wish all German poker players good luck with this endeavor.
