Gambling Laws in Germany and Its Federal States
From the Interstate Treaty on Gambling to state-level exceptions: what applies where.
Reviewed by the Casinokeller editorial team · Editorial policy
Germany has one of the most complex gambling regimes in Europe. The federal level sets a framework — but the detailed rules sit with the 16 federal states (Bundesländer).
Interstate Treaty on Gambling 2021 (GlüStV 2021): Since 1 July 2021, virtual slot machines and online poker are legal nationwide — under strict conditions like a 1-euro maximum stake per spin, a 1,000-euro monthly deposit limit per operator and the mandatory OASIS self-exclusion register.
Online casino games (table and live games): Responsibility lies with the states. Schleswig-Holstein has its own licensing regime; North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Hesse grant online-casino concessions. Other states (e.g. Bavaria) are still evaluating.
Land-based casinos (Spielbanken): A state matter. Depending on the state they are run publicly (e.g. Hamburg, Berlin) or privately (e.g. Bavaria: Spielbanken Bayern GmbH).
Arcades (Spielhallen): Also state-level. Minimum distances between arcades, opening hours and licensing procedures vary widely — from comparatively liberal (Schleswig-Holstein) to very restrictive (Berlin, Bremen).
Sports betting: Federally licensed via the GGL. Currently more than 30 licensed operators.
Lotteries: A state monopoly via the German Lotto and Toto Block; secondary lotteries are not permitted in Germany.
GGL Halle: The Joint Gambling Authority of the federal states has, since 2023, been the central supervisor for online gambling and maintains a public whitelist of legal operators.
Important: only play with operators holding a German license. The GGL whitelist is the most reliable source.