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

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

• 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.

• December 1, 2023: DSWV includes Oddset Sportwetten, a provider of online and retail sports betting in Germany, in its membership to enhance efforts to champion legal and responsible gambling nationwide. This collaboration comes at a time when tackling illegal marketing and ensuring player protection are crucial concerns in Germany.

• November 22, 2023: A study led by economist Gunther Schnabl from the University of Leipzig reveals that almost half of online gambling in Germany is still conducted on unlicensed platforms despite the State Treaty on Gambling being in effect since July 2021. These illegal betting sites are accessible from Germany without a VPN, offer services in German, and accept German documents during registration.

All legal gambling options in Germany - iGaming also permitted

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

• 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

• September 15, 2023: GGL fines online casino operator Red Rhino €50,000 ($53,000) for offering gambling to German players without a license. Despite removing the platincasino.de site aimed at German users, Red Rhino still allowed access to its platincasino.com site, enabling German players to gamble.

• June 26, 2023: The Higher Administrative Court of Saxony-Anhalt upholds the authority of the German gaming regulator, GGL, to enforce advertising restrictions, including bans on infomercials, affiliate advertising through streamers, and promotion of unlicensed sites.

• June 1, 2023: Germany approves Netbet Enterprises Limited, allowing the operator to offer slot games through its domains Netbet.de and Vegas.netbet.de.

• May 11, 2023: The Higher Administrative Court of Saxony-Anhalt upholds the power of the GGL to ban licensed operators from advertising on affiliate sites promoting illegal gambling. The court deemed this practice as incompatible with German gambling regulations.