The two executives of Germany's national gambling regulator, Ronald Benter and Benjamin Schwanke, have confirmed their attendance at the 2022 Gaming in Germany Conference.
This event has been scheduled to take place September 19-20 at the Ritz-Carlton in Berlin. Save the date!
Currently confirmed speakers include:
- Ronald Benter, Director, Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL)
- Benjamin Schwanke, Director, Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL)
- Dr. Jörg Hofmann, Senior Partner, Melchers Law Firm; Past President IMGL
- Dr. Tilman Becker, Director, TC Becker Consult
- Birgitte Sand, CEO Birgitte Sand & Associates; former Director Spillemyndigheden
Additional speakers will be announced soon!
If you would like more information or to meet us in person, please consider visiting our Gaming in EU stand ND4-C&D at ICE London. We hope to see you there!
Virtual slots licensing at a standstill
Despite many applications, no virtual slots or online poker have yet been approved by the State Administrative Office of Sachsen-Anhalt.
Under present regulations, all license applications are subject to a final approval by a two thirds majority of the Glücksspielkollegium, a body consisting of representatives of Germany's sixteen federal states. The current holdup in the processing of virtual slots and online poker licenses appears to be mainly due to ongoing disagreements in this body.
A whitelist of all currently licensed gambling operators is available here.
Germany's new national gambling regulator, the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), will take full control of the licensing process from 1-1-2023.
GGL to focus on problem gambling prevention and early detection
Germany's new national gambling regulator, the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), announced it would treat player protection and problem gambling prevention as its initial priority.
The German regulator announced the following specific measures:
The development of an automated complaint and whistleblower system, which would allow consumers to quickly and efficiently report irregularities with legal or illegal offerings, as well as complaints regarding gambling advertising.
A regular data-based evaluation of the player protection measures in the GlüStV 2021 and further development of cross-provider standards for early detection of gambling addiction. Based on these evaluations, the GGL would then be able to advise politicians on future adjustments to the GlüStV 2021.
- The GGL will provide bundled information on the subject of gambler protection and the prevention of gambling and betting addiction on its website with the goal of informing and educating players.
New problem gambling prevalence study released
Germany's Institut für interdisziplinäre Sucht- und Drogenforschung (ISD) and the University of Bremen's Gambling Research Unit have released the results of a new (problem) gambling prevalence study. The study was funded by the Deutsche Lotto- und Totoblock (DLTB).
The survey's main findings include:
- 29.7% of Germany's adult population have gambled at least once in the last 12 months.
- Lottery games are the most popular form of gambling. 6.8% of the population participated in casino, slots, or betting games.
- 12.1% of the population participates exclusively in land-based gambling. Slightly less (9.7%) only gamble online, and 6.1% prefer a combination of both.
- 2.3% of Germany's population aged 18-70 exhibits one or more characteristics of problematic gambling behavior as defined in the DSM-5. 1.1% suffers from a mild disorder, 0.7% from a moderate disorder, and 0.5% from a severe disorder.
- Up to 33.4% of land-based slot machine players suffer from at least a mild gambling disorder. Players who participate in live betting suffer from a gambling disorder in an estimated 29.7% of all cases.
The full study is available here.
Deutscher Sportwettenverband (DSWV) warns of black market growth
Despite the ongoing regulation of Germany's online gambling market, trade association DSWV has warned that Germany's online gambling regime is ill equipped to deal with black market threats.
“For every licensed betting operator, there is a host of unlicensed alternatives,” DSWV General Manager Luka Andric observed. “There is a real risk that a substantial part of the bets placed by German customers will migrate to black market providers.”
DSWV President Mathias Dahms called for stricter enforcement as well as increased pragmatism ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup:
“On the one hand, the German authorities must finally bring the black market under control through effective enforcement. On the other hand, the authorities must be pragmatic in dealing with licensed operators and enable them to counteract the illegal competition with attractive offers.”
German regional court rules against operator in suit over player losses
The Regional Court (Landgericht) for Köln has ruled that an online casino operator must reimburse a player for €25,375 they lost while playing with the operator before online casino gaming was legalized in Germany.
This is the first case of its kind in Germany in which a Regional Court sided with the player, though lower courts (Amtsgerichte) have done so before.
On three previous occasions, Regional Courts sided with operators while ruling on comparable cases.
German Football Association (DFB) extends partnership with bwin
The German Football Association (DFB) and sports betting operator bwin have extended their partnership, which began in 2017, until the end of 2026.
The new agreement covers the advertising rights for the DFB Cup including the women's final, the 3rd division, the women's Bundesliga and the women's national team.
Quelle: Gaming in Germany