Probation for online casino providers

As of today, federal gambling regulators will not take action against illegal casino providers on the Internet if they comply with certain rules. The federal-state agreed in September to accept such an offer.

The background is the drastic reform of Germany’s gambling regulations by the new National Gambling Treaty, which is scheduled to come into effect next summer. Until then, previously illegal online casinos providers need to prove themselves in a sort of trial phase by adhering to a set of new rules in advance.

New rules over 30

There are a variety of new rules that providers must currently comply with. The federal states have decided on around 30 points in their guidelines that are intended to protect players. Among other things, players must be regularly informed of how much money they have won or lost. Players should also set a monthly stake limit and from December the stake for a single virtual slot game may not be higher than one euro. With the help of a so-called panic button on the website, players should be able to block themselves immediately for 24 hours. The providers are not allowed to advertise the virtual slot games and some offers like blackjack and roulette are generally not allowed to be offered.

Providers Must Prove themselves

As soon as the new state treaty on gambling comes into force, the permissible phase ends. After that, a national license for online slot machines, poker, and similar offers will be issued for the first time. Proven providers are required to receive incentives in the award process. So far, many companies have offered and widely promoted casino games for money, but these games are banned in Germany except Schleswig-Holstein. According to information from the NDR and “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (SZ), Germany’s largest slot machine maker Gauselmann already wants to enter the German market. Business with virtual slot machines. The group confirmed this on request.

Officials are worried

It is legal to tolerate actual illegal offers from online casinos: According to information from the NDR and SZ, some officials have licensed trucks. Operate. After all, the new state’s gambling treaty won’t come into force until next summer at the earliest, until which offer remains illegal.

Rule management not clarified

It is still unclear how compliance with the new rule will be monitored and how the federal state will proceed. A spokesman for the Bremen Interior Authority said: However, the exchange should take place within the framework of the existing institution. A spokesman for the Lower Saxony Interior Ministry said the supervisory authorities intended to work on the division of labor. Internal authorities in Hamburg said they couldn’t say anything about certain enforcement measures, but said that test games could be possible under certain circumstances.