Mernov, the operator of Jackpot Pirates and Bing Bong, a firm seemingly connected to the Goldman Sachs conglomerate, has become the inaugural nationwide online slot license recipient in Germany.
Mernov stands alone as the sole online slot enterprise on the whitelist of authorized online slot operators issued by the Glücksspielbehörde (the newly established national regulatory body situated in Saxony-Anhalt) to date.
The company has been granted a license to operate online slots at Jackpotpiraten.de and Bingbong.de and appears to be part of the Goldman Sachs group as it is situated in Espelkamp, North Rhine-Westphalia. Its office address is even listed as being on Merkur Allee.
Mernov’s gaming platform is provided by the vendor Alteatec.
“I extend my congratulations to our client Mernov on their impressive accomplishment in becoming the first operator in Germany to secure a national online slot license,” stated Alteac CEO Christian Sell. “We take pride in our contribution to this achievement and eagerly anticipate the launch of Jackpotpiraten.de and Bingbong.de as soon as feasible, which will showcase some of the most sought-after online slots in the German market.”
Germanys fourth Interstate Gambling Agreement, which took effect in July 2021, permitted online slot machines to be provided nationwide for the first time, rather than just in Schleswig-Holstein.
However, the agreement came with certain stipulations, including a €1 cap on slots. Furthermore, operators were required to pay a 5.3% turnover tax.
The agreement also authorized online poker to be offered throughout Germany. However, no poker licenses have been authorized thus far.
Online table games can also be provided, but licenses are restricted, as states can opt for a monopoly model or a number of concessions equivalent to the number of land-based casinos in the state. Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia are states that have issued multiple licenses, while Thuringia has chosen a monopoly model.
Almost a year after the agreement went into effect, no online slots or poker licenses have been listed, as operators and the German Sports Betting Association (DSWV) believe the current regulations make operation too challenging.
Earlier this week, Hesse (which was accountable for the sports betting licensing process under the preceding third Interstate Treaty) disclosed that it is accepting legal actions from all 33 approved sports betting operators. These operators are protesting the conditions of their licenses, including restrictions on betting markets in matches and a €1,000 spending limit, with only limited exceptions.
Sign up for the online gaming newsletter.