Germany betting online is like much of the rest of Europe, gambling and betting are essentially legal activities in Germany, although they are strictly monitored and regulated by the government through various agencies. Betting online is actually a large part of the German social fabric, and with the introduction of several laws sanctioned by the European Union, the scope of local gambling and betting online is due for considerable expansion and legal consideration.
Legalities Of Betting Online In Germany
On January 1 2008, a law was passed that effectively banned all forms of German betting online and internet gambling in the country. Despite this, millions of German players make bets at betting sites online that accept German deposits. The ban covers websites that offer traditional casino games as well as sports betting and poker rooms. This law also seeks to regulate online bingo and the online lottery industry, and the government may even block player access to offending gambling sites, and prevent local banks from doing business with them.
Proponents of the new laws claim that they are intended to safeguard the safety and security of German players, although many see this as an attempt by the government to maintain their monopoly on the local gambling industry. As with many others such as France, Germany has come into a legal tug-of-war with the European Union, which effectively allows online gambling in member countries.
Future Of Betting Online For German Players
While localized betting and gambling in Germany retain the lion’s share of the market, the German online betting market is fast catching up in number to the level of other countries despite laws that explicitly prohibit any such activities. The number of Internet gamblers in the country consistently hit over the 2 million mark in both 2008 and 2009. In addition, the state-sanctioned lottery also enjoyed a brisk business in the country during the same period, with as many as 59% of the entire German gambling market betting in the lotteries. It is expected that the current 2.2 billion Euros in revenues generated by the German online gambling market will increase dramatically to more than 5 billion Euros by 2010.
Germans Betting History
Before the 1900s, all gambling and betting-related activities in the country were carried out under the jurisdiction of several government agencies. This led to a fairly confusing state of affairs, with numerous conflicting laws enforced across different jurisdictions. Nevertheless, betting and gambling activities in the country generally flourished until the rise of industrialization beginning in the early 1900s. Along with the two World Wars that followed in quick succession, this effectively caused a standstill in gambling and betting-related activities in the country, and this situation prevailed throughout much of the 20th century.
It appeared that gambling and betting was to remain an insignificant industry in Germany’s future when in 2000, major changes implemented by the government caused a renewed period of growth in gambling and betting online. The government has since retained a firm grasp on all gambling-related activities, although there have been quite a few attempts made by overseas firms to corner at least a portion of the lucrative German betting market.
