Online Casino German
Online casinos were considered illegal at the time, but this did not stop German citizens from betting in off-shore online casinos. The state of Schleswig-Holstein was the only state which legalized online gambling and started issuing its own license. The industry was mainly unregulated until 2008 when a federal ban was imposed on online gambling operations with the German Interstate Treaty. The only exception were wagers on horse racing. All other forms of online wagering including casino games, sports betting, lotteries, and bingo, were proclaimed legal only if offered offline.
At the moment, online casino gaming activities are not legal within the borders of Germany. In other words, online casinos cannot legally operate and offer their services to German gamers. Nonetheless, the new regulation regarding the iGaming industry in Germany will allow German gamers to engage in online casino gaming activities at online casinos that hold all of the required licenses.
This means that Germany’s iGaming industry is about to see very positive changes thanks to the new regulation rules as online poker rooms and online casinos will most likely be legalized from the 1st of July 2021. Even though new online casino gaming and gambling regulations are coming soon, the country is not as comfortable as you would think with legalizing all sorts of online gambling activities, so there will be some restrictions in place.
To make it easier to understand the upcoming changes, we take a look at the rules and regulations in place today in comparison to the rules of the new regulation and what they mean for German online casinos. We also bring you an online casino comparison or as Germans would say “Online Casino Vergleich“ so you know what to expect from soon-opening German online casinos.
Online casino gaming in Germany today
As mentioned in the previous section, online casino gaming and gambling activities in Germany are mostly outlawed. When compared to other European iGaming markets, Germany is one of those countries where companies cannot offer online gambling activities. Moreover, according to German laws, it is illegal to engage in online casino gaming activities even though these laws are not enforced by the government and authorities.
In other words, online casino gaming venues cannot legally operate in German nowadays under the Interstate Treaty on Gambling law. After the 1st of July, the iGaming regulatory environment when it comes to online casino gaming will change since new regulations come into the picture. These new regulations will lead to the massive expansion of the entire German online casino gaming industry.
The rules and limitations of the new regulation
The rules of the new regulation that was already approved have to be approved by all states in the country before they reach the European Commission. Once here, the new online gambling laws and regulations will be enforced starting from the 1st of July. These new rules of the new regulation will allow residents of Germany to play many great online casino games at licensed online casinos. Nonetheless, there will be some restrictions as well such as:
- Deposit limitations up to € 1,000 per month
- Advertisement restrictions for online casino operators
- Slot games will have stake limits of € 1 per spin
- Stake limitations for poker games as well
When it comes to other online casino games such as classic table games, every state in the country will decide on its own whether to allow such games or not. If they allow it, there will be stake limitations in place just like with slots and poker games. Even with many restrictions in place, the new regulation opens doors for renowned and respectable online casinos that are looking forward to expanding their operations in Germany.
Shortly after the new regulation was announced, the official iGaming regulatory body the Regional Council of Darmstadt received over thirty applications from online casino operators that want to offer their service in the country. These applications are not approved yet but some of them will be as July 2021 is approaching. Before you register at any German online casino, make sure you check other regulated, licensed venues for an unbiased online casino comparison so that you can make the right decision and pick an online casino that fits your preferences. The most important criteria remains their licensing and whether they are allowed to legally operate or not.
Story by Jonathan Douglas
Published September 30, 2021 by Lee R
The “emerging” market in German is set to receive a huge boost from a UK heavyweight and leading local studio deal.
Rapidly expanding UK-based superaggregator iSoftBet has inked a key aggregation deal with German iGaming studio Hölle Games.
Integration Deal
The landmark opening of Germany's iGaming market will get a huge boost from this new content deal expanding iSoftBet's prodigious casino library integrating Germany's rapidly rising Hölle Games gaming studio into iSoftBet's renowned game aggregation platform (GAP).
New German Market
The strategic deal expands iSoftBet’s presence long-awaited and newly launched German market, where the New State Treaty on Gambling (GluNeuRStV) opened online gaming on July 1, 2021.
iSoftBet Leader Speaks
Commercial Aggregation Manager for iSoftBet Denisa Cseprigi lauded the newest GAP offerings in a company news release:
“From localised content to a vast array of top-performing premium games, we’re able to add another exciting studio to our GAP portfolio and look forward to working together for the foreseeable future.”
Hölle Games Strategy
This local-regional partnership enhances Berlin-based market-specific games offerings through “made in Germany” video slots from Hölle Games, whose company name is actually derived from the word “Spielhölle” meaning a place to play slots.
Hölle Games' studio products are initially aimed at German and Swiss audiences, in advance of a widespread mainland Europe release.
Hölle Games in Germany
Hölle Games in-house “Bonus Spin” was created especially for the German market, offering a gaming experience tailored to German players which is designed for “softening the tax-exposure, ensuring local customers receive the best possible product gameplay,” according to Hölle Games top exec.
Hölle Games Leader Speaks
Hölle Games CEO Robert Lenzhofer further commented on the new partnership:
“We strive to create cutting-edge games with a unique artwork style aimed at German players, so we’re delighted to join iSoftBet’s GAP offering, which will see us significantly expand our footprint.”
Leading Global Title
Another global title which iSoftBet brings to the German market is the recently fantasy-based slot, Secrets of the Sorcerer.
Strategic Expansion for iSoftBet
The expansion of iSoftBet globally out of the UK is almost dizzying right now, with a concurrent deal booked in LatAm bringing iSoftBet's online and mobile casino to Peru's Universal Soft.
Outlook
Germanija Casino
The integration of iSoftBet and Hölle Games is an intriguing EU version of the oft-used of late pattern of global providers teaming with local operators and should vitalise the German market.