German online casino regulations; Many operators shutting down
Until now, online gambling wasn’t legal within the borders of Germany. This means online casinos weren’t allowed to offer their services to German players. Although this is the case many operates did allow German players to open an account and play. The main reason for this is, that just like in the Netherlands, online gambling rules weren’t enforced strictly. But with the new regulations kicking in starting from July 1st many things will change.
Interstate Treaty on Gambling
On March 12 2020 the prime ministers of various German states approved the new Interstate Treaty on Gambling. This new treaty allow operators to offer online slot, poker and other casino game throughout Germany. Offering sport betting facilities was already legal.
New online casino regulations Germany
Starting from today the new online casino regulations in Germany will be affective. With the arrival of these rules casino games such as poker scratch cards and online slots will be legal to play for Germans. But the legalisation of online casino games also come with big changes for both players and operators.
Limitations
The regulations that have been approved by German states come with a wide range of limitations. Operators will need to play within these limitations if they want to continue serving German customers. Some of the most important limitations are listed below;
- Players can deposit a maximum of 1,000€ per month;
- Operators will be limited in where and when they can advertise;
- There will be a maximum bet amount of 1€ per spin on slots;
- Every spin on slot games need to last a minimum of 5 seconds;
- Stakes during poker games will also be limited;
In addition to these rules table games and live casino games will come available in certain states, but not all. Each state can determine whether they want to allow online table games, and what betting limitations will be required.
Taxes
In addition to the limitations, that will result in a lower gross revenue for operators, operators will need to start paying taxes. Operators that accept German players will need to start paying a 5,3% tax on their turnover.
Although the new limitations and taxes make it hard for operators to become profitable, over 30 companies requested an license at the Regional Council of Darmstadt.
Online casinos shutting down
The new limitations, which will come into play July 1st, resulted in a lot of online casinos leaving the German market. According to most online operators they can no longer operate profitable with all these limitations. This fact is a problem according to many people including Secretary General of the European Gaming and Betting Association, Maarten Haijer. According to him the new rules don’t give operators the right tools to meet the needs of the German market. Which is a problem because it will invite players to go back towards black-market operators.
German casinos without limitations
The fact that the strict rules might turn many German players towards the black market is worrying according to many experts. Chances are, that like in other highly regulated market such as Sweden, a large share of the players will move towards operators in the black market. In this black market operators will continue serving German playing without limitations until they might be closed down by authorities when possible. This is a big issue since the limitations are designed to protect players, something which is impossible in the depths of the black market.
Now what?
As a German player you might notice more and more online casinos not accepting you. This means you will not be able to sign up an account and play. In addition to this some operators, where you already have an account at, might notice you that you will not be able to play anymore in the future. Operators that do get a license will be able to continue serving you but you will face a limitations as explained above.
There are also online casinos that plan on continue serving Germans, without minding the limitations. These operators will face a possible juridical case from the German authorities, and we will see how that works out!
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Currently there are still plenty of open online casino in Germany. In the overview below you will find 10 reliable online casinos that still accept players from Germany. While opening your account at any of these operators you can enjoy generous bonuses and promotions.
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