Buy & sell a betting shop

In Germany, sports betting may only be offered by operators with a nationwide concession. The corner shop is an agency of that operator and needs its own permit from the relevant state. Anyone taking over a betting shop is generally buying: the property or the lease, the fittings, the location, and the prospect of being approved themselves as an agent.

Not included in the sale are the operator's concession and the previous operator's personal permit. The brokerage agreement with the betting provider also does not automatically continue; it has to be newly concluded or transferred with consent.

As soon as a betting shop is not just taking bets but inviting people to linger, with screens, seating and drinks, it counts under building law as an entertainment venue. This is the most common point of dispute with building authorities. A pure betting counter can be permissible as a shop; the classic betting lounge is not.

Many municipalities have entertainment-venue bylaws and development plans restricting this use in town-centre locations. Anyone converting a retail unit into a betting shop therefore needs a change of use. The reliable route is a written preliminary planning enquiry before signing any lease or purchase contract.

Footfall, visibility and catchment area count for more than floor area. Good locations sit on high-footfall pedestrian routes, often near catering. A shop-front window, a layout suited to screen walls, sanitary facilities and back-of-house space for equipment are the practical requirements for the unit.

On the cost side sit rent, staff, equipment and, in many towns, an entertainment tax on stakes or floor area. We do not claim turnover or commission figures. An interested party checks the numbers against the seller's documents, not against sales copy.

Enquiries come in as buy a betting shop, sell a betting shop, take over a betting agency, or sports betting shop property. Interested parties are usually existing operators seeking a second location, or investors wanting a shop unit with a long-term tenant.

We have no listed property in this category at present. Sellers should prepare the lease, use permit, permit status and brokerage agreement. Buyers should address the change of use and their own eligibility for a permit first. We take on search profiles and get in touch as soon as a matching location comes to market.