Online gambling in Germany: what is legal (GlüStV 2021)

Which rules apply?

The GlüStV 2021 applies nationwide; the GGL supervises online offers. [1][3] Licensed operators must state on their homepage that they hold a state permit and which authority issued it. [2] Virtual slot games that are not permitted by the competent authority are unauthorised gambling. [4]

What do the limits mean for players?

1. €1 stake: “The stake may not exceed one euro per game.” (§ 22a(7) GlüStV 2021) The authority can adjust the maximum stake. [4]
2. 5 seconds: “A game must last at least five seconds on average.” (§ 22a(6)) [4]
3. €1,000 per month: when you register you set a cross-operator monthly deposit limit. It may “in principle not exceed 1,000 euro per month” (§ 6c(1)). You cannot take part without a limit, and a permit can allow a different amount in an individual case. [5]
4. Stakes and winnings on virtual slot games run in euro and cent only. [4]

Which operators may you use, and which not?

1. Legal: operators that are on the GGL whitelist for that product (for example virtual slots, online poker, sports betting, lotteries) and that use the domain named there. [2]
2. Legal: online casino games (table games) only at the concession offers of the Länder that granted them. [3]
3. Not legal: operators without a German permit, including those holding only a foreign licence, for example from Curaçao or Malta. Public gambling is allowed under § 4(1) GlüStV 2021 only with a permit from the competent authority. [1] The GGL warns that illegal sites often advertise with bonuses and free spins. [3]

Legal alternatives

1. Virtual slot games (online slots) at operators on the GGL whitelist; the list is here: https://gluecksspiel-behoerde.de/de/fuer-spielende/uebersicht-erlaubter-anbieter-whitelist [2]
2. Spielbanken: casino games on site at the state-licensed casinos of the Länder; they are on the whitelist as well. [2]
3. Sports betting at operators with a permit on the whitelist. [2]
4. Help: self-exclusion via OASIS. [3] Advice: “Check dein Spiel” from the Federal Institute of Public Health (Bundesinstitut für Öffentliche Gesundheit): https://www.check-dein-spiel.de/

Sources

As of 7 October 2026 (figures read in the official texts on this date).

1. [1] GlüStV 2021, full text, NRW PDF: https://www.brms.nrw.de/system/files/media/document/file/21_gluecksspiel_staatsvertrag_2021.pdf · Bavaria: https://www.gesetze-bayern.de/Content/Document/StVGlueStV2021
2. [2] GGL whitelist: https://gluecksspiel-behoerde.de/de/fuer-spielende/uebersicht-erlaubter-anbieter-whitelist
3. [3] GGL FAQ, legal online casinos: https://www.gluecksspiel-behoerde.de/de/fuer-spielende/informationen-fuer-spielende-faqs/faq-was-sind-legale-online-casinos-in-deutschland
4. [4] § 22a GlüStV 2021: https://www.gesetze-bayern.de/Content/Document/StVGlueStV2021-22a
5. [5] § 6c GlüStV 2021: https://www.gesetze-bayern.de/Content/Document/StVGlueStV2021-6c