Licensed Sports Betting in Germany
Legal sports betting in Germany has been present for quite a while now. Despite the strict restrictions on online casinos, legal sportsbook sites have been available and will be for the near future. However, they are facing new challenges from now on.
The Regional Council of Darmstadt is the respective authority that is responsible for issuing online gambling and sports betting licenses in Germany. As of October 2020, the rules have changed. And by the time sports betting operators get used to the new German gambling laws, it will change again. The new bill is supposed to be introduced in July 2021. The preparation of the new online gambling bill in Germany is already in progress.
Currently, there are several legal online betting sites in Germany. You can see the full list of these licensed sportsbooks in Germany if you scroll up. Down below, we will tell you more details about the current online sportsbook laws in Germany, as well as the available payment methods and more. Stay tuned and start playing!
Online Sports Betting in Germany
Sportsbooks had been operating in a grey area until the recent amendment of the ITG. Only 20 licenses could be issued to legal online sportsbook sites in Germany under the previous online sportsbook laws. Still, private operators were somehow tolerated by authorities, despite not holding a German license. But this happened mainly due to the pressure coming from the EU which allowed them to operate with a European license.
Is online sports betting legal in Germany? |
Yes. |
Are sportsbook sites in Germany trustworthy? |
Yes. |
Can I deposit via PaySafeCard/Skrill/Neteller? |
Yes. |
Do online sportsbook sites accept EUR? |
Yes. |
Online Sports Betting Laws in Germany
As of 2019, unlimited licenses will be issued and the sportsbook will be legally operating from the 1st of January, 2020. And in order to provide a safe environment for gamblers, these will have to follow strict requirements, such as conducting a proof of age and it won’t be possible to bet more than €1,000 each month. Moreover, live betting will still be prohibited and licensees will have to pay 5% of their gross revenue.
As it will be an experiment, the expiration date is set to be on the 20th of June the following year, although it is likely that the amendment will be extended. To a certain extent, Schleswig-Holstein’s liberal market will serve as a model, which is why it is likely that other forms of licensed online gambling will become legal across the whole country from 2021.
Online Sports Betting Payment Methods in Germany
Operators offer a wide variety of payment methods, which are characterized by transparency allowing them to run fair and legal online gambling sites. This way, mainstream ways like VISA and MasterCard are accepted at all licensed online sportsbook sites. But these are not the only options. German gamblers are also able to deposit and withdraw with alternative banking methods that are as efficient and safe. These include Neteller, Skrill, PaySafeCard, or PayPal.
Online Sports Betting Accepting EUR
German gamblers have the advantage of being a member of the Eurozone, belonging to a large group of countries that use the same currency. This helps to create a market that is appealing to operators, which is why there are many online sports betting sites accepting EUR. In this way, they are exempt from conversion fees and can be more aware of the value of online sportsbook bonuses they can get, for example.