According to a report in the German media last month, Novomatic’s Greentube subsidiary had instructed its German-facing online casinos to refrain from offering any games produced by Novomatic as from 29th December 2017.
Novomatic, a leading European gaming operator, has now confirmed that it had made a decision to remove all of its online casino games from Germany and has stopped any involvement in the country’s online casino market. At the same time, the operator requested clarity in the gambling laws in Germany.
Novomatic originally allowed a limited number of online casinos, including Quasar Gaming, Casuma Casino and Viks Casino to offer online slots which included titles such as Book of Ra Deluxe slot, Lucky Lady’s Charm Deluxe slot and Lord of the Ocean slot to online players in Germany via its online subsidiary Greentube. However, Novomatic has since decided to prohibit access to these slot games from online players in Germany.
In an emailed statement, a spokesman for Novomatic revealed that there are unfortunately many providers which continue to place copied gaming content unlawfully on the German market without having relevant agreement with them. He went on to say that there was a need for German regulators to revamp online gambling rules as the current situation was “unclear”.
Germany is one of the most lucrative markets for Novomatic, where their slot games have always been tremendously popular and the move by Novomatic has frustrated gamblers in Germany who can now only access Novomatic slot games in bricks and mortar casinos throughout the country.