Germany Reviews Gambling Rules Amid Addiction and Offshore Risks
Germany Advances Coordination on Gambling Regulation
Germany’s gambling authority, the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), has initiated efforts to enhance federal collaboration by engaging in discussions with the national addiction commissioner. This move aims to foster a more unified strategy across the country.
Addressing Global Challenges with National Measures
Recently, Ronald Benter, head of the GGL, held talks with Prof. Dr. Hendrik Streeck, Germany’s Federal Commissioner for Drugs and Addiction. Their discussion emphasized the critical need for increased cooperation to tackle challenges such as gambling addiction, enforcement difficulties, and mounting competition from offshore gambling providers.
The GGL operates under a threefold approach that includes prevention initiatives, crackdowns on illegal operators, and compliance monitoring of licensed platforms.
However, foreign gambling websites continue to exploit legal ambiguities, operating with minimal oversight and leaving regulators with limited enforcement powers. Debate is ongoing about potential updates to the German Criminal Code to empower stricter actions against offshore gambling services targeting German users.
Until such changes are implemented, regulators find themselves attempting to control an international market through primarily domestic legislation.
Gambling addiction remains a significant and often underestimated issue in Germany. It is estimated that approximately 1.4 million adults suffer from gambling addiction, while another 3.5 million are deemed at risk. Additionally, around 350,000 individuals have voluntarily self-excluded from gambling activities.
Alarmingly, an estimated 600,000 children live in households impacted by a family member’s gambling disorder. Despite these concerns, Germany lacks a comprehensive nationwide system to consistently monitor gambling-related harm. This makes it difficult for policymakers to differentiate the effects caused by licensed versus illegal operators, resulting in regulatory decisions based on incomplete data.
Review of the Interstate Gambling Treaty Approaches
These issues come into focus as Germany approaches the 2026 deadline for the first comprehensive review of the Interstate Gambling Treaty of 2021, which has shaped the country’s online gambling regulations.
The treaty introduced stringent restrictions on betting amounts, deposit limits, and advertising standards aimed at protecting consumers. While these measures increased player safeguards, they also limited competition among legal gambling providers and inadvertently allowed illegal platforms more room to operate.
The forthcoming review will need to assess whether the current regulatory framework strikes an appropriate balance or if fundamental reforms are necessary to better address the challenges faced by the gambling sector in Germany.
