Germany’s gambling regulator, the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), is carrying out a comprehensive evaluation of the country’s 2021 Interstate Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV 2021) — the most significant review of Germany’s online gambling framework since it came into force. The evaluation, expected to conclude by the end of 2026, will determine whether the treaty’s core restrictions are working as intended or whether they need to be reformed to stop players drifting to unlicensed offshore operators.
The GlüStV 2021 legalised online casino gaming in Germany for the first time under a centralised national framework. Under the current rules, players are subject to a cross-operator deposit cap of €1,000 per month — though exceptions up to €10,000 can be granted under strict conditions evaluated by the GGL. Online slots carry a €1 maximum stake limit and may not use autoplay. Operators must register players in a central database to enforce the cross-operator limits.
The central concern driving the review is channelisation: how much German gambling activity is actually flowing to licensed operators rather than unlicensed offshore sites. The GGL’s own estimate puts channelisation at around 77%, but the German Online Casino Operators Association (DOCV) and other industry bodies dispute this figure, arguing the real share is closer to 50%. Even accepting the regulator’s higher estimate, a significant slice of the market remains outside the licensed system.
Both regulators and the industry broadly agree on the root cause: the €1 stake limit and the €1,000 deposit cap make it difficult for licensed operators to match the experience offered by unlicensed sites, which impose no such restrictions. The GGL has signalled openness to pragmatic reforms — potentially raising stake limits and revisiting deposit thresholds — if the evaluation supports them. Any changes require agreement among Germany’s 16 states before a revised treaty could take effect, a process that could extend well into 2027.
Adding urgency to the review is the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Germany is co-hosting. The GGL has indicated it will step up enforcement against unlicensed platforms in parallel with the evaluation, aiming to improve channelisation figures ahead of the heightened betting activity a home World Cup will generate.
For players, the outcome depends on what the review concludes. A reformed treaty could mean higher permissible stakes on online slots and more flexible deposit limits at licensed German casinos. If the current framework is retained, restrictions remain unchanged. Either way, a decision is expected before the end of 2026.
