Last Updated: September 14, 2023
Let us guide you through the best Germany online casinos. These sites offer German players the best gaming options from slots and table games, to live dealers and poker games. Featuring the best gaming software, all these casinos are a German players top choice. These are for the for the players looking for the best online casino Germany.
All of our recommended casino sites here are for Germans looking to play with no restrictions. They are all seriöse online casinos so that players from Deutschland can play in the comfort in knowing they are in a good place.
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Guide to the Best Online Casino Germany
Guide to the Best Online Casino GermanyOnline gambling in Germany is not legal yet, though Germany’s government has started a process to legalize it by 2021. However, that does not mean that Germans do not visit online casinos.
The high prevalence of Germans visiting online casinos has influenced the German government to legalize online casinos. In March 2020, German federal states approved the Interstate Treaty on Gambling (ISTG 2021).
That set in motion the events that will see online casinos legalized in Germany by 2021. In this online casino, you are going to discover Germany’s online gambling trends, and availability of its online casinos.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Germany?
As at the time of writing this guide, online gambling is still illegal in Germany. That has led to the growth of a grey online casinos market, as players continue to access international online casinos, from Germany.
The only exception is the Germany State of Schleswig-Holstein, which has legalized online casinos, through state legislation. It issued its first casino licenses in 2012, when it introduced the Gambling Act. Under the act, it issued 25 sports betting licenses, as well as 23 online casino licenses.
In effect, it means that Germans could access those online casinos with a Schleswig-Holstein license, thereby avoiding breaking the law forbidding access to online casinos within their state.
However, in February 2013, it repealed the Act, due to a change of Government that required the State of Schleswig-Holstein to join the Interstate Treaty on online Gambling. However, the licenses that it issued in 2012 continued to apply, until they expired.
Furthermore, in 2019 the Schleswig-Holstein parliament passed a law by which to revalidate all casino licenses. In that regard, it continued to sustain a legalized online casino market.
That law covers any game promoted or offered on the internet, including mobile games of chance. It also does not specify which land based casinos are covered; instead it follows the definition on Section 312b, of the Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch) (BGB).
Germany Online Gambling Population
Online gambling in Germany is quite popular, with over 48.0% of Germans saying they have gambled at least once, in the past 12 months. According to a recent report published by Researchgate, by 2010 53.9% of Germany males and 42.0% of females reported to gamble in the previous 12 months.
However, the rate of gambling among Germans has declined slightly. According to Statista, casinos reported casino visits amounting to 5.53 million in 2016, compared to 6.33 million in 2010.
However, that slight decline could be misleading, since online casinos have increased their presence in Germany from 2010.
Most of those visiting brick and mortar casinos could have shifted to using online casinos instead. In addition, about 50% of Schleswig-Holstein residents, which constitute 3% of German’s population, access online casinos legally.
Overall, it is the realization that Germans are increasingly following the global trend in accessing online casinos, which has forced other German states to reconsider their ban on online casinos.
Online Gambling Laws in Germany
Online Gambling Laws in GermanyBy the end of World WAR II, just like with other infrastructure, the law on gambling was nonexistent. When the new constitution was drawn, it left the issue of gambling legislation to be determined by individual states.
Since the online casinos did not exist then, the laws focused on existing gambling games such as lotteries, horse racing, and sports betting. Furthermore, most states had residence requirements for one to attend casinos.
However, residence restrictions continued to soften, and by 1995, they were gone altogether. However, in East Germany, the communist government only allowed betting on horseracing and lotteries, only.
When communism fell in 1990, followed by the reunification of Germany, the popularity of online casinos exploded.
Glücksspielstaatsvertrag (GlüStV) – Interstate Gambling Treaty
In 2008, Germany passed the Glücksspielstaatsvertrag (GlüStV), which sought to ban online gambling in Germany. However, stakeholders in Europe’s casino industry filed a case in the European Supreme Court. The Court ruled the treaty was in violation of EU rules.
The ruling re-opened the Germany gambling market, and in 2011, the treaty (GlüStV) was revised and passed in 2012. The revision made it legally to air adverts from online lotteries, online casinos, and lottery jackpots.
The revised Act also legalized 20 bookmakers, so that they could operate alongside the state monopoly. While initially the Schleswig-Holstein chose to legalize online casinos, by 2012, the state’s government had changed.
The new government chose to join the treaty. However, as we have discussed above, it extended and renewed licenses online casinos licenses it had already issued. Furthermore, it recently extended those original licenses to 2021.
By that time, the current Germany Interstate law banning online gaming will have expired.
How International Online Casinos Operate in Germany
The Interstate Treaty places a complete ban on online casinos, and other gambling activities. However, online casinos that operate in Germany rely on their licenses issued by other EU member states.
Most of them open their doors to Germany online gamblers, after doing a risk assessment on issues such as prevailing political climate towards online gambling, and court rulings issued in Germany regarding Germany’s compliance with EU law.
For instance, the Federal Administrative Court judgment of October 2017 stated that Germany complies with EU law, by banning all online casinos.
The ruling argues that by banning all online casinos, no single casino is getting unfair access to their gambling market. However, that law has a flaw; the Schleswig-Holstein state continues to issue online licenses to 20 online casinos.
The main limitation that Germany faces when enforcing online casino bans, is the ease with which players can access online casinos. As of January 2015, online casinos offering their services to German residents have to pay a 19% tax on their gaming revenue.
Other gambling activities have to pay a 5% gambling tax on stakes, instead of the gaming revenue.
Are Online Casinos Popular in Germany?
As you have gathered from the ongoing debate on Germany online casinos, all indicators point to a need by the Germany population to gamble online. International and EU online casinos have moved to fill this void.
In Germany, you can access Germany Online Casinos with licenses from other EU member states, such as Malta, UK, Spain, and France. The popularity of gambling saw the German gambling market grow by 300 million Euros between 2015 and 2017, according to GoldMedia.
That was a growth of 33% for gambling, even though the regulated gambling market is facing competition from online casinos based in Malta and other jurisdictions.
Overall, the good economic times have led to a boost in the number Germany players accessing online casinos. A good indicator to this growth is the over 1,000 legal cases that traditional gaming operators have initiated against online casinos.
How can Germans Gamble Online Legally?
In most of Germany’s States, it is illegal to gamble online, however, German gamblers can still access international sites and place bets. That is because the authorities have not shown any interest in pursuing those who place bets online, or play on online casinos.
Instead, the government denies licenses to online casinos that want to set up a legitimate online gambling operation. Thankfully, that is going to change by 2021. German players will be able to access Germany licensed online casinos, after the planned legalization in 2021.
Is It Safe for Germans to Gamble Online Legally?
It is safe for Germans to play online casinos, even though it is currently illegal in all German states, except one. To gamble online safely in Germany, one must register and access casinos that are licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority, or the UK Gambling Commission.
The two gaming authorities have legal put in place measures to protect players who access their licensed casinos. That makes it safe for any player who has accessed their licensed online casinos to get fair play.
In that regard, even though Germany gamblers are not entitled to legal protection at home, they can get it elsewhere. All they need to do is launch claims on the two gaming authorities’ sites, and their claim will be assessed.
Real Money games for German Players
Legal online casino sites in Germany with licenses from the UK or Malta offer Germany players real money games. Generally, Germany players can access the same types of good payout casino games that players from the EU can access, since casinos serving German players, also serve EU players.
There may be a few exceptions due to gaming software restrictions. Still, the large variety of online casino games available on top German Online Casinos can easily overwhelm you. Here is a summary of games running of different gaming software, which Germany can access.
NetEnt:
They offer live games and slot games that include Divine Fortune, Starburst, Mega Fortune, Gonzo’s Quest among others.
MicroGaming:
Microgaming’s popular titles include Leagues of Fortune, Arctic Fortune, King Arthur, Oriental Fortune, among others.
QuickSpin:
QuickSpin top games include Northern Sky, Volcano Riches, East Emeralds, Pirate’s Charm, and Ark of Mystery.
Red Tiger Gaming:
Win Escalator, Well of Wishes, The Equalizer, and other slots games.
Oryx Gaming:
With Oryx Gaming, you get titles that include: Beer Party, Wild Craft, Book of Madness, and Ramses Book Christmas Edition.
Play N’ Go:
Here you can play Book of Dead, Raging Rex, Inferno Joker, and Rainforest Magic.
Yggdrasil:
They offer Age of Asgard, Lilith’s Inferno, and Champions of Rome.
Nyx Interactive:
Some of the popular titles are Roulette, Casino Hold’em, Baccarat, Craps, and Blackjack
Relax Gaming:
From Relax Gaming, you have Jolly Dicers, TINY Tumble, Donuts, Heroes Hunt, and Survivor Megaways.
Live Dealer Casinos for German Casino Players
Live Dealer Casinos for German Casino PlayersGermany players can access live dealer games from the internationally licensed casinos. The live dealer casino games run on software such as Evolution Gaming and NetEnt among others, and they include the following:
- Roulette Live
- Blackjack Live
- Baccarat Live
- Live Texas Hold’em
- Various other Live Poker
- Monopoly Live
- Live Wheel Games
You can get a variation of these games from the various live game providers. In addition, they all offer the same feel, which you get from a brick and mortar casino. The only condition is you have to have a good internet connection, to enjoy a smooth streaming experience.
Payment Options for German Players
Payment Options for German PlayersGerman players being EU residents have access to EU online casinos. Most EU casinos support popular online casino payment methods, thanks to the EU relaxed monetary rules, compared to what we have in the US.
German players have the advantage of using pay by mobile casinos, usually through Zimpler casinos. They can also fund with credit cards, e-wallets like the popular Skrill, and pre paid gift cards like paysafecard. Germans are fortunate with the relaxation of fund transfers to gaming sites. There will be an option to suit every player.
To summarize, German players can access the following payment options depending on the chosen casino: Apple Pay, Visa, MasterCard, Sofort Banking, MuchBetter, Neteller, Skrill, Bitcoin, Zimpler, Jeton, MiFinity, Rapid, Trustly, Giropay and paysafecard. Cryptocurrencies include Bitcoin, Litecoin and Ethereum.
With all these options available, German players are privy to the fastest payouts in the online casino industry. The likes of e-wallets and cryptocurrency allow for almost instant withdrawals. And if not, within 1-2 business days. Not bad considering you must play on offshore casinos.
Playing in the Currency – Best online casino Germany
As you would expect with online casinos operating within the EU, they do support payments in Euros. That allows German players to play without having to pay exchange fees, to convert their local currency to the casino’s supported currency. Anyhow, most online casinos have EUR as an available currency. So, this certainly suits German players.
Conclusion – Online Casino Germany
Germany players cannot play online casinos legally, unless they come from the State of Schleswig-Holstein. It is the only German state, where online gambling is legal. However, that is set to change by 2021, at which times the government plans to introduce laws that govern online gambling.
EU Online Casinos in Germany
Currently, what German players do to access online sites, is to choose those that operate within the EU legally. These casinos offer German players the same legal protection that they offer other EU residents.
That allows German players to gamble safely online, without fear of facing unfair gaming practices from rogue online casinos.
Grey Online Casino Market in Germany
So far, the German government has not shown any signs to pursue players who place bets online, instead, it has focused on banning issuance of online casino licenses. What that has done is fuel a grey online casino market, which is tapping into the German population’s large gambling appetite.
Furthermore, traditional brick and mortar casinos are increasingly losing their market to the vibrant online casino industry, thanks to the easy and accessibility of Germany Online Casinos.
Germany Online Casino Changes 2021
With over 50% of Germans spending over €660 million in gambling annually, German online casino players can expect to get full attention of online casinos, as soon as online gambling becomes legal in 2021.
