Are bets on amateur league matches allowed?

Football is still by far the most popular sport in Germany today. According to Statista, in 2023 there were more than 3.4 million people in Germany who play football themselves in their free time. In addition, there are millions of other sports fans who regularly watch the games at least on TV or in the stadium. The amateur leagues are also becoming increasingly popular. But is betting on amateur league matches even allowed?

A few weeks ago, Bayerischer Rundfunk broadcast an interesting documentary entitled ‘Attack on amateur football - the greed of the betting industry’. The 43-minute documentary is about how betting providers cash in on amateur football, with clubs and players often not even knowing that professional bets can be placed on their matches. Interested sports fans can still watch the programme free of charge in the ARD media library.

BR documentary about betting in amateur football

First of all, it is interesting to note that the BR documentary shows that there are even live tickers in the 5th league, in which the current course of the match is graphically displayed in real time. Sports fans around the world can see which team is currently in possession of the ball or who is taking the next corner. Every move is meticulously documented and presented in a visually appealing way.

The frightening thing: On the pitch, neither the club nor the players know that bets can be placed on their matches and that there is even a live ticker. Of course, the regional and top leagues are particularly interesting in the amateur sector in this country. Just a few weeks ago, we at GambleJoe asked ourselves how well the betting business went at the Olympic Games.

Is amateur sports betting even allowed in Germany?

To answer this question, it is worth taking a look at the current State Treaty on Gambling, GlüStV for short. Section 21 paragraph 1a states that:

‘Sports betting on sporting events in which minors are exclusively or predominantly involved is not permitted, except in the case of nationally or internationally significant major sporting events. The same applies to sporting events in which only or predominantly amateurs participate’.

Consequently, it is clearly regulated that a betting provider authorised or licensed in Germany may not offer bets on amateur matches. However, sports betting providers sometimes use loopholes and legal grey areas by offering bets on German amateur matches abroad. According to the Joint Gambling Authority of the federal states (GGL), this is permitted as long as the offer is also aimed at betting customers residing outside Germany.

Why is sports betting on amateur football prohibited?

One of the gambling authority's tasks is to ensure the integrity of the sport. Amateur football in particular is susceptible to manipulation and corruption, as the players usually earn little or no money and it is often ‘just’ a hobby. It was only at the end of last month that the German gambling authority published FAQs on betting on amateur league matches.

The fact is that anyone who finds a sports betting provider offering bets on matches in the regional or top league can be sure that the offer is illegal. The provider is unlikely to have the licence required in Germany from the Joint Gambling Authority of the Federal States (GGL).

Our current sports betting comparison 2024 from GambleJoe contains 9 betting providers with a German licence. All of these providers do not offer bets on amateur league matches, at least on their German-language platforms, as they adhere to the legal regulations.

Get to know licensed sports betting providers at GambleJoe!

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