A GGL license allows gambling operators to offer online slots, poker, and sports betting in Germany. Issued by the Joint Gambling Authority of the German Federal States, it’s a highly respected license.
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Amex, Bank Transfer, Bitcoin, Cheque, Mastercard, VisaFor many years, there was a state of confusion over German online gambling regulation; from how state and federal laws interacted with each other, to how national policy worked within EU law. That changed in 2021 with the Fourth State Treaty on Gambling, which established the GGL and created a uniform framework for online gambling in all 16 German states.
By the start of 2023, the GGL was put in charge of licensing and supervision for most forms of online gambling in the country. That includes online sports betting, slot machines, and poker. However, it does not include other online casino games, such as table games, which are controlled directly by each individual state, as is land-based gambling in Germany.
A GGL license is a great indicator of trust, security, and reputability thanks to the high standards required to get a German license. The following are a few of the biggest reasons why players should care if an online gambling site boasts a GGL license.
The GGL has the ability to step in and help arbitrate disputes between players and licensed casinos. Players can file a complaint to the GGL, and the regulator can investigate the claim, then compel the operator to abide by its decision.
The GGL maintains a database that tracks deposits, maintaining a limit of €1,000 per month per person across all regulated operators. It also operates a national self-exclusion program and database known as OASIS, and mandates that players have access to safeguards and limits that they can implement if they wish to do so.
Games of chance offered at GGL licensed sites must utilize certified random number generators that are regularly tested for fairness and randomness. These sites are also independently audited to ensure fairness both in gameplay and player payouts.
Simply earning a GGL license requires meeting high legal and ethical standards as well as passing the application process, which requires extensive documentation of financial stability and background checks. Operators licensed by the GGL are not only safe for Germany users, but are likely to meet the standards of any other jurisdiction as well.
All GGL casinos are required to report suspicious activity to prevent both fraud and money laundering on their sites. This includes a mandatory Know Your Customer (KYC) process in which operators must verify both the age and identity of each user before they start playing.
While a license from the GGL is highly respected, it’s not the only well-known or popular license in the gaming industry. Here’s a look at how this Germany license compares to two of the other top licenses available to online gambling operators in Europe.
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) allows operators to be licensed to offer online gambling in Great Britain, while the GGL license is only for play in Germany.
The UKGC has been in operation since 2005, which has given it more time to amend and adjust its regulations when compared to the GGL, which is still developing and perfecting its own rules.
The UKGC oversees all forms of both online and land-based gambling in the United Kingdom. On the other hand, the GGL only regulates online slots, online poker, and online sports betting.
When it comes to trust, regulatory strength, and the difficulty of earning each license, the GGL and UKGC are generally seen as being about on par with each other. The age of the UK market gives the UKGC license a slight edge in prestige, but both are considered strong markets of trustworthiness in an operator.
While the GGL offers licenses specifically for operators who want to offer online gambling in Germany, the Malta Gaming Authority offers a license that is used as a sign of legitimacy in many international markets, particularly those in the European Union.
Both licenses provide strong player protections, though the GGL goes further by implementing required self-exclusion and deposit limit programs in Germany.
The MGA license is known for offering a highly favorable tax system for operators, with some online gambling companies paying a tax rate of as little as 5%, while GGL licenses are subjected to higher taxes from the German government.
The MGA makes a point of offering legal protection to its licensed operators even if they are challenged in some “grey markets” that haven’t specifically regulated online gambling. That has sometimes put the MGA in conflict with other regulators, including the GGL, that have criticized the MGA for shielding its licensees from legal repercussions in other countries.
Do you want to make sure your favorite online betting site has a valid license from the GGL? Here’s a look at how you can confirm the validity of a GGL license.
First, look for the licensing information in the footer of the gambling website in question. You should see a mention of a GGL license along with the official GGL logo. Take note of the license number and the name of the business associated with the website operator.
Next, you should head to the official website of the GGL. There, you can look at the official GGL Whitelist, which contains information on all authorized operators in Germany. This list is searchable, allowing you to quickly and easily find the operator in question.
Look at the entry provided in the GGL database. This will give you information on the status of the license, including what specific licenses are held by the company (federal and/or state) and the expiration date of those authorizations.
If you find a suspicious or unregulated gambling site operating in Germany, you can contact the GGL to let them investigate the issue further. The GGL has an online reporting system on its website that allows individuals to anonymously share the URL and other information of websites that may be operating illegally in the country.
Given that the GGL license is still relatively new, there have been regular changes and enhancements related to how the regulator is overseeing online gambling in Germany. Over the past couple years, the GGL has increased its enforcement operations, blocking more foreign sites and publicly warning licensed operators for lesser violations in an effort to give the public a more transparent look at the gaming industry.
The big upcoming change for the GGL is the current process of evaluating the 2021 treaty that put the current German regulatory framework into place. This evaluation is expected to be completed in 2025, with a final report issued in 2026. The results of that evaluation will likely influence how the GGL adjusts its regulations and licensing procedures moving forward.
While that might mean stricter regulations in many cases, there are signs that some player-friendly changes could be on the horizon as well. In particular, there has been interest in finding a way to make individual affordability checks that would allow for more flexibility in deposit limits. This would allow those with sufficient means to deposit more than the current €1,000 limit at German sites.
What is the GGL license?
The GGL license is the primary online gambling license issued by federal authorities in Germany. This license gives the operator the right to offer online sports betting, online poker, and online slots in all German states, while other online casinos games are still regulated at the state level.
Are players from all countries allowed to use a GGL casino?
A casino holding a license from the GGL is only specifically authorized to offer online gambling in Germany. However, given the stringent requirements for obtaining a GGL license, many operators who legally offer online gambling in Germany also hold licenses from regulators in other jurisdictions.
How can I check if a casino’s Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder licence is valid and up to date?
In order to check the validity of a GGL license, you should first get the license information from the gambling website in question. You can then use that information to search the GGL Whitelist on the regulator’s website. If the casino has a valid license, it will appear in the database along with information on the expiration date and details of that license.
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