Online gambling in Germany: rules, GGL and limits

The legal framework: GlüStV 2021

Online gambling in Germany is governed by the Interstate Treaty on Gambling 2021 (Glücksspielstaatsvertrag 2021, GlüStV 2021), agreed between the federal states. It created a licensing route for online virtual slot machines, online poker and sports betting, and set detailed player-protection rules that apply across all licensed providers.

The treaty separates two products that are often both called "online casino" elsewhere:

Virtual slot machines (virtuelle Automatenspiele) are digital versions of classic slot machines. They are licensed and supervised by the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), the joint gambling authority of the federal states.
Online casino games in the treaty's sense are virtual table games such as roulette, blackjack and baccarat. The GGL does not license these; they fall to the individual states, which may offer them directly or through a limited number of concessions. According to the GGL, five concessions had been granted in Schleswig-Holstein and Bavaria as of 26 May 2025.

Licensed providers of virtual slots may not describe their offer as a "casino"; the GGL notes that the term is reserved for state-licensed casinos.

How to check a licence: the GGL whitelist

Under § 9(8) GlüStV 2021, the GGL publishes a joint official list of licensed providers, known as the whitelist. It covers providers and intermediaries holding a permit or concession under the treaty, plus offers supervised by other German authorities. Each entry shows the provider's address, area of distribution, responsible authority, websites and permit dates, and the list can be filtered by type of gambling and by responsible authority.

Licensed providers must also state on the homepage of their website that they hold a state permit and name the authority that issued it (§ 6e(3) GlüStV 2021). A site that does not appear on the whitelist does not hold a German licence.

Rules for virtual slot machines

Maximum stake: the treaty sets a stake of no more than €1 per game (§ 22a(7)) and allows the licensing authority to adjust this. Using that power, the GGL has allowed providers, from 1 July 2026, to raise the limit in two stages: up to €3 for players aged 21 or over, and up to €5 where the player has shown at least 90 days of unremarkable play and the provider applies special monitoring. €1 remains the standard case, providers are not obliged to offer higher stakes, and the arrangement initially runs until 31 December 2027.
Game speed: a game must last at least five seconds on average (§ 22a(6)).
No autoplay: each game must be started by the player; programmes that start a new game automatically are not allowed (§ 22a(4)).
No jackpots: stakes and winnings may not be accumulated to fund prizes in future games (§ 22a(8)).
No parallel play: playing several virtual slot games at the same time is prohibited (§ 22a(10)).
Session break: after 60 minutes of continuous play, the player must confirm an information notice and can continue only five minutes later.
Transparency: total playing time must be visible, and the RTP and the probability of the top prize must be displayed.

Deposit limit and LUGAS

Every player must set a cross-provider monthly deposit limit, which as a rule may not exceed €1,000 per month across all licensed online providers (§ 6c(1)). Without a limit, a player cannot take part. The limit is enforced through a central limit file (Limitdatei): providers report each limit and each intended deposit to it before the deposit is accepted.

The GGL allows higher limits only where the provider has checked that the player shows no sign of problem gambling and can afford it; a player's own statement is not enough. A raised limit can be up to €10,000 per month, and limits between €10,000 and €30,000 are restricted to no more than 1% of a provider's active players.

Licensed providers must connect to the LUGAS supervision system. Alongside the limit file, an activity file prevents a player from gambling with several online providers at the same time.

Player protection tools

OASIS self-exclusion: players can exclude themselves free of charge through the OASIS player-exclusion system for a minimum of three months. Licensed providers must check OASIS.
Panic button: activating it triggers a short-term exclusion of 24 hours.
Waiting time: switching between product areas on the same website requires a one-minute wait.

Tax on virtual slots

Virtual slot stakes are taxed at 5.3% under § 38 of the Racing Betting and Lottery Act (RennwLottG). The tax base is the stake placed, less the tax itself, and the tax is owed by the provider. The Federal Fiscal Court (BFH) upheld the tax in a ruling of 4 November 2025 (IX R 27/24).

What this means for players

Before playing from Germany, check that the provider is on the GGL whitelist for that type of game. Sites not on the list have no German permit, and protections such as the limit file and OASIS do not apply.