Wiki: German State Treaty on Gambling

When it comes to gambling, there are many laws and regulations in place to ensure that everything surrounding the game is legal and safe. The MERKUR GROUP has been a legal and licensed provider of gambling and betting offers in Germany and Europe for decades, placing the highest importance on complying with all laws and regulations in the respective countries.

The central legal framework for gambling in Germany is the “State Treaty on the New Regulation of Gambling” ( Glücksspielstaatsvertrag, GlüStV ). It is the cornerstone of German gambling regulation and has been in force in its current version since 1 July 2021. The State Treaty on Gambling was agreed between all 16 German federal states and therefore applies throughout Germany. It defines the nationwide requirements and obligations for legal gambling services, ensuring safe and transparent play.

The objectives of the State Treaty on Gambling

The State Treaty on Gambling defines in § 1 five equally ranked objectives of gambling regulation in Germany, namely:

• to prevent the development of gambling and betting addiction and to create the conditions for effective addiction prevention,
• to channel the natural gaming instinct of the population into orderly and supervised paths through a limited gambling offer that provides a suitable alternative to illegal gambling, thereby countering the development and spread of unauthorised gambling on black markets,
• to ensure youth and player protection,
• to guarantee that gambling is carried out properly, that players are protected against fraudulent practices, and that crime associated with gambling is prevented, and
• to safeguard the integrity of sporting competition in the organisation and brokerage of sports betting.

To achieve these objectives, it sets out key guidelines for most forms of gambling permitted in Germany, particularly for sports and horse betting as well as online gambling (virtual slot games, online poker, online casino games). In addition, it lays down requirements for arcades, lotteries with a low risk potential, and commercial game brokerage.

However, the State Treaty on Gambling regulates much more – primarily numerous measures for player protection, especially in the field of online gambling. For example, it defines how the central OASIS player exclusion database works and must be applied, enabling people to exclude themselves from gambling services nationwide and across all forms of play. Beyond this, online gambling providers in Germany must implement a wide range of additional, specific player protection measures. The treaty also contains detailed provisions on permissible gambling advertising.

The State Treaty on Gambling is therefore of central importance for gambling in Germany. Together with many other regulations and laws at both federal and state level, it forms a comprehensive framework that helps to ensure gambling in Germany is safe, fair, and responsible, and that consumers are protected from dubious black-market offerings.

And so, at MERKUR – as a licensed provider that takes extensive measures to achieve the objectives of the GlüStV – you can fully enjoy your gaming experience. In line with the motto:

Have fun, come back, play with pleasure – but PLAY SAFE!