German gambling regulator seeks flexible rules after five-year review

Five-Year Review Highlights Enforcement Surge

The Joint Gambling Authority of the Federal States (GGL) has called for more flexible regulation to keep pace with the rapidly changing online gambling market. The move comes as the regulator marks five years since its establishment and publishes a comprehensive review of its operations, enforcement actions, and licensing status.

Ronald Benter, a board member of the GGL, stated that the authority has evolved from a political mandate into a fully operational, nationwide specialized body. “Five years ago, there was a political mandate. Today, there is a fully operational, nationwide specialised authority,” Benter said. “We had to recruit staff, build structures and expertise, and simultaneously shape a completely new area of regulatory oversight in practice.”

The review data indicates a substantial increase in the scope of the GGL’s activities. The authority, which employs around 100 staff, currently oversees 129 operators and intermediaries holding GGL licences. These licences cover 229 authorised gambling websites. In 2025, the GGL carried out more than 600 supervisory checks on licensed providers, examining areas such as player protection, advertising, and product structure.

Prohibition Proceedings Quadruple Since 2022

One of the most significant findings in the review is the sharp rise in actions against unlicensed operators. The number of prohibition proceedings initiated by the GGL increased from 68 in 2022 to 287 in 2025. This represents more than a fourfold increase in cases over the three-year period.

By the end of 2025, the GGL had reviewed approximately 6,300 websites for illegal gambling offers or related advertising. While only two licences have been revoked since the GGL began operating, the focus on illegal activity has expanded significantly. The regulator noted that business models, technology, and forms of illegal gambling are evolving faster than the law can be updated.

Benter emphasized that the authority’s approach has shifted from simply shutting down individual sites to targeting the broader ecosystem that supports illegal operators. “Today, we possess the experience, specialist knowledge, and technical capabilities to effectively supervise a highly digitised online gambling market with an international character,” Benter said. “This marks the starting point for the next stage of development.”

Targeting the Ecosystem

The GGL is increasingly focusing on the components of the infrastructure that enable illegal gambling. This includes payment providers, advertising partners, affiliate networks, and hosting services. The regulator aims to disrupt the viability of illegal business models rather than just acting against individual websites.

“We do not measure the success of our work solely by the number of proceedings we conduct or the number of official orders we issue,” Benter explained. “What matters is the impact. Through our measures, we disrupt the viability of illegal business models and increase the long-term cost of operating them.”

As part of its call for regulatory reform, the GGL wants the forthcoming evaluation of the 2021 State Treaty on Gambling to grant it greater scope to act within the existing legal framework. The authority argues that more flexible rules are necessary to maintain effective oversight in a market characterized by rapid technological change and international complexity.

The GGL’s five-year review serves as a baseline for future policy discussions, highlighting the challenges and achievements of establishing a unified national oversight system for online gambling in Germany.

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