Regulated Germany Casinos - Gemeinsame Glucksspielbehorde der Lander Licensed Casinos

ONLINE GAMBLING IN GERMANY
The gambling industry in Germany was destroyed during World War II, just like any other infrastructure. However, Germany’s post-war Constitution made the gambling law a matter for the individual states. In the beginning, German gambling laws focused on lotteries and sports betting, including horse racing. Some states placed residency requirements on gamblers, as the first gambling laws were very restrictive. These restrictions diminished over the years and eventually vanished during the 90s.

With Germany being Europe’s largest economy, the German online gambling industry is a very flourishing venture that generates profit. In 2018, the German gambling market was worth €14.2 billion, according to the Handelsblatt Research Institute. Offline casinos, gaming machines and lotteries represented €10 billion of the total sum, while the remaining amount of €2.2 billion came from online gambling. Research shows that 38% of the industry belongs to sports betting, 34% casino entertainment and 24% poker tables. However, football betting is the most popular way for Germans to bet, considering the country’s passion for football.  

POPULAR GAME TYPES IN GERMANY
When it comes to online casinos in Germany, players can pick from a wide variety of highly beloved casino game types. Here's an overview of the most popular game types among German players. 

• Slots. Playing for pennies in classic 5 reel slot machines online, or taking on a mammoth 25 paylines at once, online slots are undeniably one of the most popular games played online throughout Germany.
• Poker. Although poker is a very popular table game, most German poker players go to dedicated poker room sites.

POPULAR GERMAN SOFTWARE PROVIDERS
There is a wide variety of software providers for German players to choose from, and down below Chipy has prepared you a list of the most popular casino game providers in Germany, such as:

• Microgaming - top-rated game developer with a portfolio of over 1,000 titles;
• Novomatic - one of the most innovative and creative online casino developers in the industry;
• IGT - leading company in the gambling industry, with almost 30 years of experience;
• NetEnt - famous for their slots, which are considered to be among the best on the market;
• Play’n GO - one of the most requested software brands in the European market for gaming solutions;
• Playtech - renowned provider of video slots, table games, and video poker.

LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS
The Glücksspielstaatsvertrag (the German Interstate Treaty) is considered to be the most respected law in the German gambling industry. The law came into effect on January 1st, 2008, when 15 of the 16 German federal states signed it. In the beginning, the treaty was considered to be too strict, which led to an amendment being added. This new amendment allowed individual states to decide how to regulate online gambling, while the federal government would supervise the process. In 2012, one of the 16 states issued 50 licences to online casinos and poker sites. However, in 2013, ITG was reinforced, but the issued licenses could not be withdrawn, so they remained in force for six years, until 2018.