Gambling has a long tradition in Germany. The first German casino was opened in Bad Ems in 1720. The casino Bad Ems currently operates about 70 coin and slot machines as well as two gaming tables. Also in Dresden there is a casino, the Spielbank Dresden, with a total of 107 slot machines on an area of more than 400 square meters. And in The Dresden Neustadt there is the Spiel-In a reputable slot machine game provider on the Königsbrücker Straße.

With its large and wealthy population, Germany is the third largest betting market in the world – about 60 percent of players place a bet at least once a week.

However, gambling is strictly regulated to prevent negative effects on society. Sports betting is offered by state-run betting shops, as well as foreign providers and legal websites. The state-owned betting provider “ODDSET” operates traditional betting shops and a website – but this option offers lower odds and access to fewer betting markets than the foreign competition.

On the other hand, it offers security and protection against fraud. Until nine years ago, online betting in Germany on modern sites we have today was not yet regulated and the current laws completely left out the Internet. With the introduction of the “State Treaty on Gambling” (GlüStV) in 2008, all forms of online gambling were banned with immediate effect, with the exception of sports betting and betting on horse racing from state providers.

Schleswig-Holstein then issued 23 licenses in 2012. These have a term of six years and will soon expire – and online betting is still prohibited throughout Germany, apart from the approximately two dozen approved providers.

 

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Due to the intervention of the European Court of Justice in 2010, foreign online betting providers are now allowed to make their betting offer available to people living in Germany. A new bill aimed at fully regulated online betting is expected to be put to the vote before the end of the year. In Germany, however, they seem to want to keep the existing laws, although the country has been scolded by the EU for its tough stance on gambling.

As things stand at the moment, it is illegal in Germany to offer online gambling. Meanwhile, the use and popularity of gambling via foreign websites are growing rapidly.

However, anyone considering using foreign, unregulated online betting providers should be aware that foreign companies are not subject to German law and that they are not legally prosecutable if something happens with the money. All those who are interested in betting over the Internet are therefore strongly advised to make sure that they are dealing with a reputable and reputable sports betting provider. There are several options worth recommending. A popular choice is Sportingbet. A provider that has been in business since 1998. The company has become one of the world’s leading bookmakers, available in 26 countries and enjoying an ever-growing clientele of currently more than 700,000 players.

In view of Germany’s love of football and the German successes on the pitch, as well as a variety of well-known greats in other sports, online betting can probably only go in one direction.