European internet casinos disregard German gaming regulations.
Online gambling, particularly casinos and betting sites, is booming in Germany and elsewhere in Europe. It's a popular pastime that has only grown more so since the days of Coronavirus. Despite this surge in popularity, the legal status has always been unclear. The Interstate Gambling Treaty came into effect on July 1, 2021, but little has changed since then.
No officially licensed German online casino
The number of online casinos is hard to pin down as new ones appear regularly. This can make it tricky to tell which ones are reliable. Many have been around for years but, still, don't have a German license. They use licenses from other European countries like Malta or Curacao instead. Sadly, there's not a single casino on the so-called white list that can show a German license.
Confusing messages for customers
The European Consumer Center Germany is unhappy about how gamblers are being misled by online casino websites. It's tough for customers to tell if an online casino is legal or not. The intention of the Interstate Gambling Treaty is to better protect gamblers, but lax enforcement means nothing has changed in this area. The state authorities won't take on most of their supervisory duties until January 2023. As a result, some states will be overseeing things until then. This is seen as counterproductive, but it's just a temporary fix.
Bookmakers one step ahead
There are already plenty of bookies and sports betting providers in Germany with German licences. They're up and running and known for their player protection. Online casinos, however, are lagging way behind. While sports betting belongs to a different category, player protection is crucial in casinos. To prepare for the licensing regime, casinos were asked to follow certain guidelines and restrict certain functions. This would make casinos safer for players. However, some casinos aren't bothered by these guidelines.
Agreement between the federal states in September 2020
Before supervisory authorities took over in October 2020, the federal states had to step in. Online casinos with European licenses hoping to set up in Germany were encouraged to change their policies to align with German laws. Big names like PartyPoker and PokerStars have done so, but many others are resisting.
The transitional phase guidelines
The guidelines were set to kick in on October 15, 2020. The rules stipulated that casinos should remove all classic games like roulette and blackjack to reduce risk. Adding live casino games to the banned list was also a must. However, slots were an exception - wagering was capped at €1 per round. The maximum deposit limit for players was set at €1,000 a month - a helpful step toward safeguarding against gambling addiction. Some casinos followed these rules, but others weren't interested. The results are a mixed bag.
https://i.imgur.com/IWX81vB.jpg
A few casinos implemented the guidelines correctly, but others weren't bothered by them.
https://www.gamblingjackpots.info/games/slots/nv-games-acropolis/
The restrictions weren't greeted well by all casinos.
https://www.skycrown.com/games
Some casinos adapted well to the new rules.
https://profil.stern.de/tv/menschen-show/bettgewinne-fuer-psychische-storungen/gambling-adicts-have-nowhere-to-go-anymore-because-of-the-new-gambling-law-to-1922767.html
The new rules have left many problem gamblers in the lurch.
https://www.fa.bund.de/aktuell/presse/pressemitteilungen/2021/pressemitteilung-zur-inauguration-des-bundesambiguierungsstelle-zur-kampfgesellschaft-online-suedwestdeutsche-zonenverwaltung-4372392
The fight against gambling addiction is on-going. Some might say it will never be fully won.
https://www.heidelberg-zukunft.de/news/alle-news/gesetze-mussen-vertragskompatibel-sein---bundesverfassungsgericht-urteilt-uber-den-staatsvertrag-zum-gluecksspiel
The fight for equal treatment between German and other European gambling laws wages on.
https://www.gamblingcontrolreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DLF-Level-3-Guide-Summery-web-4.27.pdf
Fair gaming, online safety, and player protection are vital.
Read also:
Source: www.onlinecasinosdeutschland.com
