New GGL Chair Takes Office as Germany Prepares Gambling Treaty Review

The Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) is facing significant changes. A new chair has taken office. This coincides with the first comprehensive review of the State Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV 2021). In parallel, the interior ministers of the federal states are urgently calling for rapid adjustments to gambling regulation, long before the official evaluation report due at the end of 2026. The focus is primarily on stronger instruments against illegal online gambling.

Germany is currently in a phase of upheaval in the gambling sector. The challenges are numerous, ranging from a growing black market to the need to adapt existing laws to digital reality. The coming months will be crucial for how the regulated market develops and how effectively illegal providers can be combated.

Numbers and facts

The Conference of Interior Ministers (IMK) adopted a draft for the Second State Treaty amending the Gambling Act in June 2025. This draft aims to create the legal basis for the GGL to more effectively use IP blocking and content takedowns. A central innovation is the explicit empowerment of the supervisory authority to take action against illegal content via intermediary service providers, such as hosting or internet access platforms, when direct action against the operators is not feasible. The previous liability requirement, which undermined the effectiveness of enforcement, will be dropped. This is according to a blog post from the Institute for Gambling and Society at Ruhr University.

The adjustments also take into account the legal shift from Germany's now-defunct Telemedia Act (TMG) to the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). A ruling by the Federal Administrative Court in March 2026 had restricted the GGL's powers to IP blocking. The court upheld a lower court decision from 2023 that deemed a GGL attempt to block access to Lottoland impermissible. This ruling rendered the regulation toothless in the fight against offshore providers. An academic researcher, quoted anonymously, referred to a process that looked like a “planned lottery win,” when the interim evaluation of the State Treaty on Gambling was criticized for being conducted by gambling researcher Dr. Tobias Hayer, considered a critic of the industry. The interim evaluation, launched in December 2023, was intended to assess the effectiveness of current regulations and make recommendations for improvements. According to Luka Andric, Managing Director of the German Sports Betting Association (DOSW), the main change will likely be a “minor surgical amendment” on IP blocking.

“Due to the urgency of the matter, the reforms should not wait for the final evaluation report, which is due by 31 December 2026.” - Conference of Interior Ministers (IMK), Resolution in June 2025

Background

German gambling regulation has been a continuous topic of discussion since the GlüStV 2021 came into force. The GGL, as the central supervisory authority for the states, has the demanding task of ensuring player and youth protection while creating an attractive, legal market. This is a balancing act. The black market for online gambling remains a major challenge. The current initiatives show the urgent need to optimize existing regulations and close loopholes, especially in the area of enforcement against irregular offers. A new chair at the GGL has the opportunity to bring fresh impetus to these discussions and strengthen the authority's position.

Why it matters for German players

For German players, this development means that the focus of regulation will continue to be on protection from illegal offers. The efforts to strengthen IP blocking and content takedowns are intended to ensure that fewer dubious providers are accessible. This is a good thing. Players should exclusively use online gambling sites listed on the GGL whitelist, which are subject to strict German regulations. These include a stake limit of 1 euro per spin for slot machines and a monthly deposit limit of 1,000 euros, controlled by the central monitoring system LUGAS. Anyone wishing to deposit more must prove their creditworthiness. These measures serve player protection. By strengthening the GGL and its enforcement instruments, access to safe, fair, and responsible gambling offers in Germany can be improved. It is important to always check the official GGL whitelist before registering with a provider. This is the only way to be on the safe side.

What it means for GGL-licensed casinos

For GGL-licensed casinos, the planned reforms and the efforts of the interior ministers mean a potential strengthening of the legal market. If the GGL succeeds in blocking illegal providers more effectively, competition will be fairer. This helps legal operators who meet the high requirements of the State Treaty on Gambling. Currently, they are struggling with a limited range of games. Simon Priglinger-Simader, Vice President of the German Online Casino Association (DOCV), expressed hope that the approval of new online slot games could shift from a tedious game-by-game approval to a supplier-level review. This would significantly simplify the process and lead to a greater variety of legal games. The GGL could also relax the currently strict product restrictions, such as the 1 euro stake limit per spin and the five-second forced break between rounds. The ability to offer more games and potentially relax some restrictions would increase the attractiveness of GGL-licensed casinos for German players and make them more resilient against black market offers.