Germany
Since the legalization of online sports betting in 2021, sports betting operators can now apply for licenses from the Joint Gambling Authority to welcome German customers to their sportsbooks. Around 30 legal betting sites and apps are available within the country.
🇩🇪 Legal sports betting apps in Germany:
Online sports betting in Germany - Legal but rigidly regulated
As one of Europe's largest countries by population, it's genuinely no surprise that Germany's betting scene is also enormous, estimated as the second largest in Europe, right topping the Italian betting scene on this list and only trailing the United Kingdom. However, due to the quite confusing legal status of all online betting and gambling and stringent restrictions related to gambling licenses, the country hasn't yet been able to tap into the full potential of its betting landscape.
In 2008, the government's initial approach to regulating the gambling industry leaned more towards restriction and limiting access rather than openness and freedom. For example, the country implemented a strict prohibition on online gambling activities, a policy that persisted until recently. Unfortunately, this created a significant black market, and many German players used unlicensed websites to wager on their favorite sports.
The federal states changed all this in 2021 and created a tightly regulated, safer industry. The Interstate Treaty on Gambling, known as the ITG 2021, outlined a vision for the future of sports gambling and online casinos in the country. Today, German bettors can wager through licensed desktop sites and mobile betting apps, and the whole GER gambling scene is expected to open and grow steadily during the following years.
However, the black sports betting market is still going strong within Germany, and according to the most recent studies, almost 50% of all online gambling among Germans happens on unlicensed platforms as these illegal betting sites are widely accessible from Germany without a VPN, offer services in German, and accept German documents during registration. In addition, multiple restrictions, including in-play betting bans, keep driving bettors toward these unlicensed operators.
Thus, a more open online gambling market is truly in demand in Germany.
Sports betting legislation in Germany
| Is online sports betting legal in Germany? | Yes |
| Is in-person sports betting legal? | Yes |
| Is daily fantasy sports legal? | No |
| Is horse racing betting legal? | Yes |
| Is political betting legal? | No |
| Is eSports betting legal? | No |
| How many legal sports betting apps are there in Germany? | +30 |
| Legal age for sports betting in Germany? | 18+ |
| Germany's tax rate for betting/gambling winnings | 5% (per stake) |
| Who regulates sports betting in Germany? | Joint Gambling Authority (GGL) |
All legal online sports betting in Germany must occur on sportsbooks with a license from the gambling authority, the German Federal States' Joint Gambling Authority (GGL). From the start of 2023, this new authority has been overseeing all online sports betting and casino activities within the country. At the moment, GGL has whitelisted a total of 38 betting operators, allowing them to accept wagers from Germans legally.
German sports betting legislation journey and the current regulatory framework are both fascinating and confusing. Overall, the country's betting market is one of the strictest in Europe, as there are tons of restrictions and limitations placed on operators. For example, live betting is completely illegal in Germany, and as eSports isn't considered a sport in the country, eSports betting is also banned.
But the weird limitations do not stop there. Betting on rugby is legal in the Olympics, but wagering is prohibited during the Rugby Europe Championships or national games. Similarly, soccer betting on friendlies is generally restricted except for those involving Germany. All these kinds of weird limitations truly drive bettors towards the black market betting operators.
In addition, in May 2023, GGL classified daily fantasy sports as an illegal form of gambling, which means such services are not available anymore in Germany.
Recent updates from the German sports betting scene
June 14, 2024: UEFA Euro 2024 tournament begins in Germany, and the host country wins the opening match after hammering Scotland 5-1. The hosts are currently among the top frontrunners to win the European Championship with odds +425.
June 13, 2024: GGL expects the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament to heavily increase betting activity within the country and warns Germans on wagering on unlicensed, illegal sports betting platforms, deeming such actions punishable and harmful.
May 17, 2024: Industry experts, including the managing director of the Association of Sports Sponsorship Providers, Inka Müller-Schmäh, voice major concerns regarding Germany's plan to ban sports sponsorship related to sports betting operators and online casinos, pointing out that such a ban would drastically decrease sports funding in the country.
February 27, 2024: Sportradar prolongs its partnership with Bundesliga International for six more years until 2031-32. It will continue providing betting and streaming rights for Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, with added rights to sub-license video content and exclusive distribution of live match data for betting.
February 15, 2024: The German Sports Betting Association (DSWV) reports a 5.4% decline in stakes for 2023 compared to the prior year, totaling €7.7bn. They attribute this decrease to marketing restrictions enforced by the State Treaty on Gambling since 2021, including bans on live betting, which drive players towards unlicensed operators.
All legal gambling options in Germany
| Are online casinos legal in Germany? | Yes |
| Are retail casinos legal? | Yes |
| Are social casinos legal? | Yes |
| Is online poker legal? | Yes |
| Is the lottery legal? | Yes |
The gambling laws in Germany are strict and have caused tons of criticism from both online sportsbooks and casino operators. In this iGaming field, the regulation imposes strict limits, including a €1,000 monthly deposit cap and a €1 stake limit on casino slots, affecting all players regardless of income.
In addition, the operators face challenges due to rules on the website and game design causing delays for players, such as enforced wait times and spin delays. The amount of online casino slots available for Germans is also much smaller than in other countries due to the lack of a proper licensing system for B2B suppliers. Critics argue that these restrictions undermine trust in regulated platforms and push players towards unregulated options.
However, in a nutshell, all gambling and iGaming types are generally available in Germany in at least some form.
Other gambling-related news & stories from Germany
July 12, 2024: Germany's online casino association, Deutscher Online Casinoverband (DOCV), disagreed with the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde den Länder (GGL) data, arguing the regulator underestimated the black market's size. The GGL claimed the black market held a 4% share, but DOCV estimated it closer to 20%, highlighting a EUR 600 million black market against a EUR 3 billion legal market.
June 12, 2024: GGL launches a comprehensive study to examine how different types of advertising, including TV, Internet, and social media ads, influence gambling behavior. The review also aims to evaluate ads' effect on problem gambling and investigate the effectiveness of Germany's gambling-related advertising regulations set in 2021. The study is set to conclude in 2026.
March 16, 2024: After claiming Lottoland an illegal gambling operator and asking Internet service providers to block all access to the company's digital products in 2022, GGL now whitelists Lottoland to operate freely in the country with a proper license. With this license, Lottoland can now offer Germans their lottery games, making it the 12th lottery operator in the country.
March 26, 2024: After overcoming regulatory hurdles for years, Lottoland secures a German lottery license and announces plans to run at lottoland-deutschland.de and lottohelden-deutschland.de
February 23, 2024: The German Sports Betting Association (DSWV) voices concerns about the continuing rise of the black gambling market within the country and urges changes to the current regulations to increase the channelization towards the legal, licensed gambling operators. According to the DSWV, heavy restrictions and regulations make it harder for legal operators to compete against illegal ones, causing the money to flow increasingly to this black market.
Germany - Some commonly asked questions (FAQ)
What kind of restrictions are there regarding sports betting in Germany?
Sports betting is legal in Germany if you just wager on legal online sportsbooks that carry a proper license issued by the German Gambling Authority (GGL). However, for example, in-play betting is still illegal in the country.
How profitable has legalized sports betting been for Germany?
The legal online gambling market generated around €4.8bn in tax revenue for Germany in 2023. The largest tax income junks came from lotteries and slot machines, as sports betting alone totaled €409M in taxes.
What sports do Germans bet on the most?
Data gathered around sports betting activities in Germany shows that soccer is by far the most popular sport in the country in terms of wagers placed. Horse racing, tennis, and basketball are some of the other standouts.
How much do Germans gamble illegally?
Despite having a regulated gambling market, Germans still choose to gamble on illegal offshore betting sites very frequently, as around 50% of the country's gambling activity still occurs on this black market.
