IP blocking is generally seen as the most effective weapon in the fight against illegal online gambling. The Joint Gambling Authority of the German federal states (GGL) wanted to use it immediately after it was given responsibility for combating the gambling black market in Germany. However, the judiciary had its objections. Recently, the Federal Administrative Court once again confirmed that IP bans are not enforceable. However, GGL continues to negotiate and is using an alternative method in the meantime.
At a recent congress in Berlin, the GGL spoke about (new) measures to advance the fight against the black market in Germany. One of the topics discussed was Section 284 of the German Criminal Code (StGB), which criminalizes illegal gambling. If the authorities have their way, this should be clearly extended to online providers based abroad as quickly as possible. In fact, such an amendment could have considerable consequences for casinos or sports betting platforms and their users!
Several German online casinos were recently affected by a hacker attack. It is alleged that sensitive customer data was temporarily accessible to third parties. The three online gambling providers, which are owned by Merkur AG, have already informed their players of the incidents by email. But what is the best way for those affected to react and who is behind this?
According to the State Treaty on Gambling of 2021, online table games are generally permitted in Germany. However, regulation is not nationwide, as is the case with virtual machines, but is a matter for the federal states. This inconsistent solution has meant that roulette, blackjack and the like cannot be played online in many places to this day (at least not legally). Baden-Württemberg has recently become one of the few regions to approve such casino games. However, only from a state provider and, of course, only within the state borders.
The Gambling Survey is considered the most important data collection on gambling participation in Germany. The Institute for Interdisciplinary Addiction and Drug Research (ISD) and the Gambling Research Unit at the University of Bremen have been in charge since 2021. Compared to the last survey conducted by the previously responsible Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA), the figures shot up by an astonishing 550 percent practically overnight! Many people then asked themselves: Can this be right? Apparently not, as a new Forsa study now suggests. The result should give those responsible for the gambling survey a real stomach ache.
As part of the know-your-customer (KYC) process, gambling providers verify the identity and age of players. For this purpose, users usually have to present a valid ID document and, depending on the verification option, take a selfie or provide the provider with other personal documents. But which casino verification options have now become established in Germany?
The SlotMagie online casino has a promising loyalty program that hardly anyone knows about. We are talking about the SlotMagie Gold Club, a program for frequent players. There are three levels in total - Bronze, Silver and Gold. But how attractive is the Gold Club in practice and is it worth joining?
"Game changer", "groundbreaking", "gaming experience of the future": headlines like these were more common a few years ago when it came to virtual reality (VR) and gaming. The first VR slots or even entire VR casinos were proudly presented at international trade fairs and made quite an impression. Many predicted a revolution. However, the whole thing never really caught on. Insiders recently revealed why this might be the case and which top innovation is really likely to stick around for the long term.
A few days ago, employees of the public order office accidentally discovered an illegal gambling hall in the Berlin district of Neukölln. The officers were actually busy enforcing parking violations. However, they noticed several people who had disappeared without a trace behind a wooden wall in a pub. After reinforcements were called in, the noses of the public order office discovered a fully-fledged "backroom casino".
On the last day of the ICE 2025 trade fair in Barcelona, the German Online Casino Association touched on a pretty hot potato: During a closing networking event, they explained that the use of licensed online gaming machines in Germany would actually only rank between 20 and 40 percent, massively off the official estimates of the gambling supervisory authority. More fuel for the ongoing controversy surrounding the strength of the black market in the country.
Poker used to be shady and was often played in back rooms. Those days are now a thing of the past: the game has become almost mainstream thanks to TV broadcasts, regular reports in the general press and, last but not least, celebrities getting involved at the felt table or acting as advertising faces. Online poker has played a significant role in this development. A new ARD documentary takes a look at this structure, revealing interesting details.
The Federal Statistical Office has just published the tax revenue from games of chance for 2023. In a ten-year comparison, there was an overall increase of 51 percent, which is undoubtedly more than respectable. However, explosive details can be found further in the background: Virtual slot machines, online poker and sports betting, for example, were down in tax terms - and significantly so. Slots even saw an incredible 38 percent drop! How can such a drastic slump be explained?
Even in regulated European markets, the allocation of operator and ownership structures for online casinos quickly becomes difficult. Not to mention the many offshore platforms that deliberately conceal their data in order to remain under the radar in regions for which they do not have a license. Now a major data leak is providing specific insights into the world of such companies. Several tens of thousands of internal documents are said to show how laws are being circumvented across Europe and how the authorities are forced to watch powerlessly.
The new year is just around the corner and many people have made resolutions for 2025. Some gambling fans may have come up with the following idea: "I should open an online casino myself and make money from it." In fact, the German gambling market is currently stronger than ever - and statistics suggest that turnover will continue to rise steadily over the next few years. Good conditions for casino operators. But how realistic is it to enter the business - what do you need to consider?
As Germany's central gambling regulatory body, the GGL had a lot to do last year. It was therefore a regular topic in our reporting. Whether as an executive force against illicit activities on the local market, a warning voice for more conscious gambling - or even criticized by industry representatives and players: a lot has happened. The authority has now published a review for 2024 - and it is quite positive. However, some shortcomings must be acknowledged.
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