iGaming experienced mixed results as Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), Germany’s regulator, released the country’s first quarterly gambling market analysis.
According to figures released by the GGL, just under €1.1bn was staked on virtual slots in the first quarter of 2025, rising to €1.12bn in the following quarter.
In comparison, the amount staked by German players on online poker fell from €204m to €184m over the same period.
The overall value of stakes across the monitored verticals, which also included online and retail sports betting, as well as online horse racing betting, decreased as the year progressed.
Players staked a total of over €3.5bn in Q1, falling to €3.2bn in Q2.
Gaming reform
According to the GGL, it has taken the decision to publish quarterly results in a bid to “ensure greater transparency in the legal gambling market” and “regularly inform the public and political decision-makers about market developments”.
The results are also intended to contribute to the debate surrounding the impact of the State Treaty on Gaming 2021 (GlüStV), which introduced a new German licence for providers of online gaming and sports betting.
Among the reforms were monthly deposit limits for online casinos, set at €1,000 per player across all platforms, and a €1 stake limit on online slots.
Alongside this, a 5% stake-based tax was levied on online operators, as well as advertising restrictions.
Critics of the regulation have warned that the stringent measures introduced have emboldened the country’s black market.
Although the GGL claims that the black market represents 25% of Germany’s total gaming market, reports elsewhere suggest that this figure is closer to 50%.
Figures released by the regulator at the end of 2024 revealed that the sector generated gross gaming revenue of €14.4bn for the year, up 5% compared to the previous year.
However, given the estimated size of the black market, it would appear that the overall market is worth much more.
Fighting unregulated operators
The GGL noted in its 2024 Activity Report that there remained 858 German-language sites operated by 212 unlicensed operators.
The regulator also confirmed that it had removed 231 illegal sites out of 1,700 reviewed, and a further 657 illegal sites were prohibited based on automated geo-blocking initiatives.
In March, the GGL called for more impactful measures to combat the black market following a review of its Google partnership.
Despite noting early success during a conference hosted by Die Deutsche Automatenwirtschaft eV (DAW), such as the removal of sponsored ads for unclicensed sites from Google’s search results, the CEO of the GGL, Richard Benter, said that more needed to be done to fight against the black market.
He warned against the use of cloaking, which allows operators to present different content to search engines and users, circumventing restrictions and the efforts of search engines like Google.
Benter also called for a more unified approach across Europe in addressing issues to reduce the continent’s fragmented regulatory landscape.
“This fight requires close cooperation with international partners. Equally crucial are clear and uniform frameworks for the legal market that ensure the protection of players and apply equally to all permitted providers,” said the GGL in its report of the conference.
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