Premiere AG plans to launch online casinos within next two years

The German online gambling scene could be about to get a shot in the arm, according to Sueddeutsche Zeitung, which this week quoted from company sources to reveal that Premiere AG has plans to enter the online casino sector, breaking into the German state monopoly.

The report says that Premiere has already engaged with major online gambling companies such as 888.com and Party Poker as it explores international possibilities but gives no further details. Premiere has had a dynamic few months, having recently launched a betting TV channel branded Premiere Win.

The report will no doubt attract the attention of the German authorities; the German Federal Constitutional Court sits in Karlsruhe soon to hear argument on whether the gambling market should be opened up to private companies.

One of the main concerns would be the integrity and honesty of online casinos, especially with more than 1200 online casinos on the Internet, how do you know which ones will actually pay you if you win? Regulation would help this in a big way.