Germany Announces New Gambling Regulatory Authority

A new national regulatory authority on gambling has been announced in Germany. The country’s 16 federal states have agreed to the new treaty which will allow operators to offer online casino and poker.

Previously, it has been illegal to gamble online on casino games in the majority of Germany’s states, with online casinos outlawed. However, citizens of Germany are able to wager at online casino sites outside of the Western European country and over the last ten years, Germany has faced an uphill climb to stop the spread of illegal gambling and black market providers.

The announcement, which was made today in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein is expected to bring news of regulation and legislation on casino games, slots and poker over the coming months. The new authority will also introduction strict safeguarding laws against underage gambling and ensuring protection for vulnerable people against addiction.

“States will formulate and enforce regulatory and technical requirements and the new legislation will be the basis for a sufficiently attractive online gambling offering, to ensure the channelling of gambling into the legal market,” German ministerial official Dirk Schrodter said.

Although the full details of the new regulatory body and what it will include are not yet finalised, it is expected that it will outline restrictions such as a blackout window of closure each day, time delays between accessing certain casino and betting providers and a watershed time period whereby TV commercials will not be allowed.