Erlaubnis für den Betrieb eines Totalisators Erteilung

• Racing Betting and Lotteries Act (RennwLottG) Section 1 - Totalizator license
• Implementing Ordinance to the Racing Betting and Lotteries Act (RennwLottDV) Section 2 - Prerequisite for issuance
• State Treaty on Gambling 2021 (GlüStV 2021)
• Saarland Act on the Implementation of the State Treaty on the New Regulation of Gambling in Germany (AG GlüStV 2021-Saar)

If you are a racing club, organize horse races and want to place bets, you need a permit to operate a totalizator.

You are a racing club and

1. want to operate a totalizator on the racecourse on the occasion of public performance tests for horses or
2. operate a betting office for horse races outside a racecourse, then you need a totalizator permit in accordance with the Racing Betting and Lotteries Act.

In totalizator betting, the bettors bet among themselves and not against a bookmaker. The totalizator is a procedure by which the respective odds are continuously determined from all bets placed in the run-up to the start of the race and the proper distribution of winnings is processed after the end of the race. Bets can be placed at the totalizer on the racecourse, but also at betting offices outside the racecourse.

A small proportion of the betting proceeds goes directly to the racing club, which must use this income exclusively for the benefit of the state horse breed and for the organization of horse races.

Permission may be granted subject to time limits and conditions.

You will need the following documents to process the application:

• Articles of Association
• the last annual report, which must contain a precise overview of the income and expenditure in detail, in particular also the use of the income for the race prizes and for other purposes directly serving the state horse breeding and which must show that the income has actually been used exclusively for the benefit of the state horse breeding
• an estimate with a cost calculation for racing operations
• the conditions under which the totalizator is to accept bets
• General Terms and Conditions (GTC) of the racing association as operator of the totalizator, if applicable

In addition, according to § 4 RennwLottDV, the club must specify the places on the racecourse where the totalizator may be set up and what the minimum amount of the bets should be. Therefore, a document containing this information must also be uploaded.

The following requirements must be met:

• Racing or horse breeding club: Only racing or horse breeding associations with or without legal capacity can obtain a permit. It must be clear from your club's articles of association that the sole purpose of the club is the promotion of state horse breeding, including by organizing performance tests for horses.
• Your board members and other leading personalities of the association must provide the assurance that the purpose of the association will be realized.
• They must undertake to allow bookmakers who have been granted permission to place or broker bets on the association's racecourse to exercise their trade on race days at the racecourse against payment of a stall fee.
• The organization or brokering of gambling (horse betting) does not run counter to the defined objectives of the State Treaty on Gambling.

The fees for the approval of a totalizer are between 150 euros and 1,500 euros.

The fees for changes to the approval of totalizers are between 20 euros and 100 euros.

You will receive a notification of fees.

The administrative fees are set in accordance with the Act on the Levying of Administrative and User Fees in Saarland (SaarlGebG) in conjunction with the Ordinance on the Issuance of a General List of Fees and the General List of Fees (GebVerz) (here: item 525)

1. You submit the application.
2. The responsible office will check your application and the documents submitted.
3. Once the examination has been completed, you will be sent the decision with the result of the examination and a notification of fees.

Processing takes around 4 to 5 weeks, provided that the complete and verifiable documents are available.

The application must be submitted at least 2 months before the race.

Please note that you must comply with the obligations of the State Treaty on Gambling when operating the totalizator business. These are regulated in particular in Sections 1 to 3, 5 to 7 and 27 of the State Treaty on Gambling (see "Legal bases").

Anyone operating a totalisator business without a license is liable to a prison sentence of up to two years or a fine!

You can lodge an appeal against the decision with the competent administrative court. You will find the relevant information in the decision.

Permit to operate a totalizator

- Racing clubs that organize horse races and want to place bets require a totalisator permit

Requirements:

• It is stipulated in the club's articles of association that the exclusive purpose of the club is the promotion of state horse breeding, including by organizing performance tests for horses.
• Board members and other leading personalities of the association must provide assurance that the purpose of the association will be realized.
• Obligation to allow bookmakers who have been granted permission to place or broker bets on the Association's racecourse to exercise their trade on race days at the racecourse against payment of a stall fee.

• Responsible: Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digital and Energy, Department B/2

Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digital and Energy

Department B/2

Franz-Josef-Röder-Straße 17

66119 Saarbrücken