Germany has always been a tough place for online casinos, but new stipulations the German government has set are really challenging for casinos. In the past years, it was enough for a provider to obtain a licence, which was valid within the European Union, in order to operate in Germany. The German Gaming Authority has witnessed a massive increase of German player accounts with casino websites, and wants to regulate the offer even more: no more table games and live casinos. From October 2020, there are only a handful of live casinos left – brought to you by deutschelivecasinos.de – but German players should evade non-licensed providers.
2020 was a year that has brought a huge increase in player accounts since many people just discovered their strong passion for gambling and got used to the broad offer in live, table and dice games. One of the reasons for that may be the many attractive bonus offers of both well-established providers and new start-up casinos. In order to be able to keep on enjoying roulette, baccarat, craps and blackjack or poker, players could now switch to a Curaçao Online Casino. That way their gambling experience is regulated by strict rules that are part of the Curaçao licence, but a lot more diverse than it will be under the new German regulations.
More novelties in German gambling
As of now, Germany has tolerated casinos that adhere to gambling regulation. A licence from the Malta Gaming Authority or a Gibraltar licence have been the key to be able to operate in Germany. One of the German provinces, Schleswig-Holstein, started marching to a different tune, though, and created its very own gambling licence, which differed from most others. This meant German players from Schleswig-Holstein were not allowed to play in certain casinos or they were allowed to play – but only with restrictions.
Usually, they were not able to activate the welcome bonus or they had other deposit and withdrawal limits. The government found that it needed to reform the gambling market in Germany by creating a uniform, countrywide regulatory catalogue.
No more table games
Casinos that want to obtain the German licence, cannot offer table games there any longer. From October 15, 2020 onwards, providers are supposed to show their serious efforts of trying to meet the new regulations. Casinos that ban table games from their game range, are a lot more likely to receive the new licence in July 2021. Many Malta-licensed providers are following that path on the German market.
No more live casinos
Another thing that casinos with Maltese licence need to stop doing in Germany is offering a live area. This is intended to help with addiction prevention. In order to stay successful on the German market, it makes sense for providers to expand their offer of breathtaking slots.
A change of name
Throughout this article, we´ve been referring to the providers of games as “casinos” – a term that will no longer be used for a gambling website with a Germany licence. Instead, providers are supposed to carry the terms “Spielbank” or “Spielhalle” from October 2020 on. Those terms are synonyms for casino but are supposed to shift the impression on the user – away from gambling over to an arcade-like gaming experience with colourful slots.
What players will do after July 2021
Experts expect gamblers to divide into two groups as soon as the new German regulations come into force – the ones that will stick with the new slot casinos and the ones that will prefer a casino with Curaçao licence and full gaming variety. The Maltese licence will lose its validity in Germany, which causes many of the internationally operating online casinos to take a decision: Who wants to reduce their offer and get the new licence? And who wants to continue operating in Germany illegally without a new slot licence by the German Gaming Authority? For most providers, that will be a decision based on estimations and prognoses of the players´ behaviour in the future.
Disclaimer: Play responsibly. Players must be over 18. For help visit https://www.gamcare.org.uk/.