🇩🇪Germany gambling regulation

Legal framework at a glance

Gambling in Germany is primarily a matter for the 16 federal states (Länder), which coordinate through an interstate treaty. The Glücksspielstaatsvertrag 2021 (GlüStV 2021) came into force on 1 July 2021 and, for the first time, allowed nationwide licensing of virtual slot machines and online poker alongside sports betting. Lotteries remain a state monopoly, and online casino table games are left to each state.

Item	Position (October 2026)
Regulator	GGL (online, nationwide); state authorities for land-based
Virtual slots, online poker	Licensed by GGL
Sports betting	Licensed by GGL
Online table games	State choice: monopoly or limited licences
Lotteries	State monopolies (Deutscher Lotto- und Totoblock)
Self-exclusion	OASIS national register

The regulator

The Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), a public-law institution based in Halle (Saale), Saxony-Anhalt, took full responsibility for licensing, supervising and enforcing online gambling on 1 January 2023. It publishes an official whitelist of licensed operators, runs the central limit file (LUGAS) and pursues illegal operators. The OASIS exclusion register is operated separately by the Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt in Hesse.

Licensing

GGL licenses operators of virtual slots, online poker and sports betting, and also approves individual slot games. Licences are typically issued for up to five years. Online casino table games such as roulette and blackjack fall under state law: a state may run them as a monopoly through its lottery company or license a limited number of private providers. Read more in gambling licensing models.

Online products — what is and isn’t legal

Germany is legal but heavily constrained:

• Virtual slots: €1 maximum stake per game round as the statutory default, a 5-second minimum game round, and no autoplay or jackpots.
• Higher stakes since July 2026: relying on its power to adjust the stake limit, the GGL now permits up to €3 for verified players aged 21+, and up to €5 for players aged 21+ who show no warning signs over 90 days and accept enhanced monitoring. The guideline is time-limited to the end of 2027.
• Parallel play: players may only play at one operator at a time, enforced through a central activity file.
• Sports betting: live in-play betting is restricted to the final result and next goal-type markets.

See stake and deposit limits by law.

Taxation

Under the federal Rennwett- und Lotteriegesetz, virtual slots and online poker are taxed at 5.3% of stakes (not of gross gaming revenue), the same rate as sports betting. Because the tax is levied on turnover, operators often pass it on through lower payout rates, a point regularly raised in debates about channelling. See gambling taxation compared.

Advertising and marketing rules

Licensed operators may advertise, but advertising for virtual slots, online poker and online casino games is banned on television and the internet between 6am and 9pm. Ads must not target minors or present gambling as a solution to financial problems, and sports betting ads may not be shown during live broadcasts of the event in question. Active athletes and sports officials may not appear in sports betting ads. See gambling advertising rules.

Player-protection requirements

• Deposit limit: €1,000 per month across all operators, monitored by LUGAS. Higher limits need evidence of affordability and are tightly capped.
• Identity and age checks: before play; anonymous play is not allowed.
• OASIS checks: at every login and visit.
• Panic button: a 24-hour immediate block across licensed sites.
• Early detection: operators must run automated systems to detect gambling problems.

Enforcement against unlicensed operators

The GGL issues prohibition orders, works with payment providers to block transactions with unlicensed sites, and has had hundreds of illegal domains taken offline. In 2025 the Federal Administrative Court ruled that the current treaty does not provide a basis for ordering internet access providers to block sites. A second amendment to the treaty addressing this was notified to the European Commission in 2025, but enters into force only once all 16 states ratify it. As of October 2026 ratification is still under way. See payment blocking and ISP blocking.

What this means for players

For players, the key question in Germany is whether a site appears on the GGL’s official whitelist. Licensed sites must verify your identity, apply the €1,000 cross-operator deposit limit, check OASIS at every login and offer the panic button. Sites outside the whitelist, often licensed in Malta or Curaçao, are illegal in Germany and offer none of these protections; players there also risk disputes over withdrawals with no German regulator to turn to.

Recent developments and what to watch

• Treaty evaluation: the states must deliver a consolidated evaluation report by 31 December 2026. Proposals under discussion include changes to the deposit limit, the 5-second rule and bonus rules.
• ISP blocking amendment: awaiting ratification by all states.
• Higher slot stakes: the 2026 change is being monitored, with quarterly anonymised reports to the regulator.
• Health ministers’ position: in June 2026, state health ministers called for stronger health protection in future amendments.

For practical help, see self-exclusion in Germany and German support services.