While most other countries in Europe are trying to control online gambling with stricter rules and restrictions, Germany is going the other way and looking to legalize online gambling in the future. This was agreed upon by German states late in January and is set to take effect in 2021. While this plan is still in principle, it is being viewed as something to look forward to by a few German federal states.
The 2012 Interstate Treaty on Gambling might be modified to allow this. This is because this particular treaty only allowed states to run a lottery but banned online gambling. This 2012 treaty also limited the issuance of sports betting licenses. With this new agreement, a regulatory body will be put together to issue permits, enforce laws, and organize such games of chance.
The plan is to allow players to access online poker and virtual slots that are regulated by their individual states. The rules will have to be strictly enforced however to ensure that problem gambling doesn’t become an issue in the country. Some of the rules that are being eyed for implementation with this plan include the setting of a monthly deposit limit for each account.
This is still due for deliberation and thorough planning, with industry leaders and the country’s federal states set to discuss terms and conditions. The state lotteries will still be operated by the individual states running them but online casino games will be under various operators. This will, however, be subject to rules and regulations that each state will set for themselves.
While there are no details as of yet for the implementation and exact dates when these will happen, talks are underway. This has actually been discussed for years now and has only become apparent of late. The German gambling market is said to be worth €2.6 billion. This is too big a market to pass up and is something operators are looking forward to working on.
