This year's ‘Gaming in Germany’ conference took place in Berlin in November. Every year, members of the gaming industry come together for this event to discuss the German market. Problematic topics are always up for debate. The 2024 edition was apparently particularly controversial. As can be read in the international trade press, the two major German industry associations clearly criticised the development or non-development of the local iGaming landscape: according to them, illegal offers are on the rise.
Casino streams are not prohibited per se in Germany. However, streamers must meet numerous requirements to ensure that their stream is not legally problematic. As licensed online casinos such as BingBong also offer a similar service with the Slot Academy, the question now arises as to whether the Slot Academy is legal?
Illegal online casinos operate from Curaçao, Costa Rica or other tax havens around the world - in any case far away from Germany, according to popular belief. According to research by Bavarian broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), however, this may not be entirely true: in fact, BR suggests that a software company from Berlin is in charge of a whole series of unlicensed platforms that focus on the German market. The journalists draw complex connections between companies in Malta, Cyprus and Curaçao and the capital. We take a closer look at the situation.
How the Joint Gambling Authority of the federal states (GGL) takes action against illegal providers has so far remained largely hidden. In a recent webinar, however, the head of the GGL's department for combating illegal gambling described the procedure in more detail. She provided fascinating insights into day-to-day business.
Last Monday, December 2, the Duisburg City Council decided to raise the slot machine tax to 24 percent. This is expected to generate additional revenue of almost 1 million euros per month, which should boost the monthly gaming income to a whopping 4 million euros. Gambling is clearly on the road to success in the city. Surprisingly, criticism comes less from the industry and more from politicians.
Professional casino streamers often play enormous bets and regularly win incredible sums. It's no wonder that the question of whether it can all be real is raised time and again. ROSHTEIN is one of the biggest names in the scene, but he is also one of the most scrutinized protagonists. He has been accused countless times of gambling with fake credits, which he has always denied. Now it seems he may have betrayed himself.
With 19 participating countries and a top prize of 120 million euros, the EuroJackpot is the biggest lottery in Europe. This incredible sum has not been paid out for 17 draws. The next chance comes on Tuesday. What is curious is that the fact that the pot has not been cracked for so long means that there are all the more big prizes. You can find all the information here.
A well-known German rapper recently reported that he had turned down a lucrative casino deal. According to the report, the artist was offered almost 60,000 euros per month by an online casino for a bit of live streaming. But which rapper is it and what are the reasons for the deal being turned down?
Gambling is an interesting and important field of research. Its prevalence and (potential) problems are regularly the subject of specific surveys. This is also the case in Switzerland, where a study was recently published according to which an impressive 67 per cent of citizens have already used such services in their lives. In terms of the exact year of the study, the figure is slightly lower, but still considerably higher than the comparable figure in Germany. The trends for dangerous gambling behaviour are similar in both countries - despite different approaches to player protection.
The digital world is having an increasing impact on all of our lives. The fact that smartphones have become an indispensable everyday tool for most people is an impressive illustration of this development. Offline and online are becoming increasingly intertwined. This multidimensionality is also reflected in the OKTO.CASH payment method, which enables cash transactions for online gambling. The idea is not new, but has not been widespread in Germany to date. Interwetten recently introduced corresponding cash-to-digital payments.
Over the past few weeks, the headlines surrounding the famous singer Pietro Lombardi have been piling up. After an argument with his girlfriend Laura Maria Rypa, the police even had to be called and there were accusations of domestic violence. Now Lombardi spoke to “bild.de” about his passion for casino visits.
The social casino business seems crazy to many die-hard slot fans: you gamble, you can't win anything and yet it must be worthwhile for the operators somehow. It does indeed - and to a considerable extent, as insiders recently revealed to the international trade press. As part of a comprehensive report by a major industry portal, several people involved provided astonishing insights into turnover, values and player motivations.
In the past, we at GambleJoe have often reported critically on licensed online casinos in Germany. To put it mildly, our community also often sees some potential for optimisation in the gaming conditions of legal online providers. Today, however, we have specifically set out to look for arguments in favour of German online casinos.
The Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of the Interior recently announced that four gambling companies have been granted a licence to provide classic casino games in the state. It was foreseeable that it would not take long for this issue to spark a debate. Now the SPD, which is in opposition in Schleswig-Holstein, has voiced criticism of the licensing. The plan being pursued by the state government is cynical, the danger of a further increase in gambling addiction is being underestimated and it is primarily about tax revenue. The proposal: providers should contribute to therapy costs.
A topsy-turvy world in Norway: Because an online casino paid out too high a prize to a player, the operator has now been sentenced to a hefty fine. So should the online casino have refused to pay out to the player and been in a better financial position as a result?
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