EU casinos remain without German licenses

Increasing popularity, persistent uncertainties

In the last few years the number of online casinos has increased rapidly.

Providers often advertise with a welcome bonus and free spins. In most cases, this is very attractive for potential new customers. In order to get a better overview of reputable providers, there is a so-called whitelist. However, there is not a single provider with a German state license. On 01. The German State Treaty on Gambling came into force on July 2021. This should bring online casinos out of the legal gray area. So far, however, this has not worked and the websites continue to offer gambling with licenses from other EU countries such as Gibraltar or Malta. This should change with the new regulations in Germany.

Previous legal situation

So far, the federal states have not drawn up any clear rules as to when online gambling is considered legal and when not. So many found themselves in a legal gray area. Schleswig-Holstein even decided to make its own exceptions. The state issued licenses that should only apply to residents of the state. Nevertheless, casinos based there were advertised nationwide.

Objectives of the new law

The new State Treaty on Gambling came into force on July 1st of this year. This replaced the previously applicable online casino law. It was important that it should apply to all German federal states. According to this, websites can now apply for German licenses in order to continue to operate on the German market.

The main purpose of legalization is to improve consumer protection. Among other things, panic buttons were prescribed that block a player for 24 hours.

With the new law, the focus of the games is on online slots, table games and live casino offers will be banned. Nevertheless, the variety of providers and the thrill will continue to exist. Gambling under controlled conditions, that is the essential change in online gambling in 2021.

Criticism of the online presence

The online presence of the individual gaming providers is criticized by the European Consumer Center Germany. You see potential for improving transparency towards consumers. This is difficult for customers to assess.

Consumers should actually be better protected and protected from such problems by the gambling contract that came into force previously. However, since the control mechanisms were ignored in order to be able to guarantee such protection, there is no change in the area of game protection.

Problems with the German regulations

At the moment, only very few casinos have a German state license.

Because the approval process is difficult for many European providers. You have to go through an approval process, which is too much of a hassle for many online casinos. Some of the requirements are for example:

There are intensive controls here and the high level of effort poses major problems for many European providers.

Why European Casinos Refuse

Transparent operation must be guaranteed for the supervisory authority. Because in this way state control can be ensured. This also includes the appointment of a receptionist and representative in Germany. For many providers, this means a great deal of financial and administrative effort.

The aim of the regulation is clearly to protect players. In order to ensure this, casino providers must meet the requirements mentioned. There was a change within the online casinos. The offers have been adjusted and some functions have been restricted. But not all providers are enthusiastic about this change and in some cases even refuse to implement it. Only a few such as PartyPoker or PokerStars have already made adjustments.

Why they don't get licenses

These restrictions on the online offer for players in Germany came into effect on the 15th. In effect last October. Live casino games were written directly on the forbidden list. In addition, some popular casino games have been removed entirely. This also includes roulette and blackjack. As with the adaptation of the license guidelines, there are again providers who refuse to implement them or others who have no interest in the specifications. Therefore, they do not get a license to offer their casinos on the German market.

For you as a player, a lot of the machines should also change. You can only bet one euro per game round. This is to improve your security. Your monthly deposit limit is also a maximum of $ 1000. This is another measure of protection for gambling addicts and is also intended to help against future illnesses.

Joel Moore

I have over 12 years of journalism experience - including reviews of the best casinos. For the past few years. I've been interested in human psychology and behavioral factors. This knowledge now helps to better understand casino players.