Published at 08:02h on March 16, 2023
Last update: March 17, 2023 at 03:17h.
Germany’s Gemeinsamen Glucksspielbehorde der Lander has issued its first fine to a gaming operator. The German Gaming Regulator (GGL) was officially opened by Ronald Benter (left), and Benjamin Schwanke (right). Since January, the regulator has issued its first penalty. (Image:
The GGL issued a five-figure penalty to the company. The exact amount was not specified by the regulator.
There are more than 400 unlicensed sites that target the German market. Germany approved several online gaming licenses in the last year. A new push was announced in January.
The regulator said that players can look at the official GGL listing to find out which online providers have licenses. This way, they know they’re using only those providers that provide the required protection and risk management the GGL prescribes.
German Laws
In Germany, legal providers cannot place advertisements on websites that also contain advertisements for unlicensed providers. This is a part of Germany’s new GlucksspielNeuregulierungStaatsVerag, the state gambling treaty that entered into force on July 1, 2021.
Online casinos in Germany can only operate if they have a license, Under the GlucksspielNeuregulierungStaatsVerag (which is quite the name). There have been several lawsuits against operators including PokerStars. Players are suing to recover their losses due to illegal acts in Germany.
GGL questions Black Market Claims
Reports indicate that there has been a slowdown in Germany’s introduction of online gambling. DSWV, the trade group representing Germany’s online betting industry, reported recently that there was a “significant drop” in participants in the regulated segment.
The GGL refutes these claims. Benter claims that less than 5% of sports bets are placed in the unregulated area, as per GGL analysis. The Federal Ministry of Finance tax data was used to calculate the figure. It’s not possible for officials to accurately estimate how many bets were placed on unregulated platforms because winners don’t pay tax on winnings offshore.
A judge has already ruled ISPs do not have to block access from certain gaming websites. This makes it easier for consumers offshore to play. In addition, nothing prevents using a VPN to bypass geolocation and other restrictions.