Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL)

by

Adam Maclean

On July 1st, 2021, a new State Treaty called the Glücksspielstaatsvertrag (GlüStV 2021) came into effect and legalized online gambling across Germany. Alongside the treaty, a newly established gaming authority, the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder was formed in Haale (Saale), and as of January 1st 2023 became responsible for licensing and regulating all gambling operators offering services to players in Germany.

Before the introduction of the treaty, online casinos were completely banned from operating in all German states with the exception of Schleswig-Holstein, which introduced its own Gambling Act in 2012 and allowed the licensing and operation of online casinos and sports betting for residents of the state only. The general lack of regulation paved the way for a thriving black market, and so to combat this the new regulator has been created.

Gambling needs rules

The main goals of the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) are to license operators, monitor the development of the gaming market and ensure that licensees are complying with its regulations, especially with regards to preventing gambling addiction. It is responsible for overseeing the following types of gambling:

Online Poker/Virtual Slots
Sports betting and horse betting online
Nationwide social lotteries
Commercial game brokerages in several countries
Class lotteries

The new legislation is aimed at providing a consistent regulation for online gambling operators and therefore providing a safer market and better protection for players. However, this does come with some tight restrictions, for both players and operators alike.

With regards to online casinos, access to Progressive Jackpot slots or Live Dealer games is entirely prohibited, as is any form of auto-play. Additionally, players are limited to depositing a maximum of €1000 per month, and the maximum stake per spin on virtual slot games is €1. There are significant factors affecting operators too. As well as the need to obtain a license, verification must be carried out immediately after player registration and operators must pay a tax of 5.3% on every stake.

Despite the limitations, Germany now has a much needed central regulatory body that should help maintain a more transparent online environment for all involved.

Disputes and Complaints

The GGL has a strong focus on uncovering and preventing illegal internet gambling, and provides a whistleblower system, or reference portal, to enable players to anonymously submit reports regarding:

illegal gambling
Advertising for illegal gambling offers on the internet
Advertising for permitted gambling offers on the internet
Irregularities in permitted gambling offers on the internet
Suspicion of money laundering

However, similar to other regulators, it is noted that the authority does not process complaints regarding transactions between the player and the gambling operator. Instead, the player must approach the gambling company and follow the complaints policy as specified on their website. If the outcome of this process does not conclude in a resolution, the player can then escalate the complaint to an Alternative Dispute Resolution service, the details of which should also be provided by the operator in question.

If your name's not on the list...

Only those with a license granted by the GGL can offer their gambling services to players in Germany legally, and these permitted providers are obliged to state that they have permission from the state on their website. An official list, or whitelist, is published by the authority and is available for download from the GGL website. It details all licensed and permitted organizers or operators of games of chance, as well as information about them such as company address and the websites they are allowed to operate.

operator whitelist — The permitted operators whitelist

Responsible Gambling

One of the conditions of a license from GGL is that there must by many measures put in place to protect players from gambling addiction, such as the option of setting personal limits and regular reality checks, as well as the ability to self-exclude.

Note:

Sadly, there is currently no resource directly available to allow players to self-exclude from all German licensed operators at once, and so exclusion must be addressed with each operator individually.

There is information regarding gambling addiction offered on the GGL website, including its effects on those inflicted and how to recognize symptoms, Players are advised to seek help and further information at The State Coordination offices for gambling addiction. It also recommended to visit the BZgA (Federal Centre for Health Education) website, Check Your Game, or alternatively the BZgA can also be contacted by telephone on the free number 0800 1 37 27 00, Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Contact Information

Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder

Address: Hansering 15, 06108, Halle (Saale)

Tel: +49 345 52352 0

E-mail: info@gluecksspiel-behoerde.de

Website: https://www.gluecksspiel-behoerde.de