Betting Sites in Germany
Excellent cars, rivers of beer and the Bundesliga may be the first things that cross your mind when thinking about Germany. And while all these are true, this proud nation of almost 83 million people has many more feats to be proud of. Germany has the best trade deficit in Europe, and it’s also the third biggest market in Europe when it comes to gambling revenue. The Germans can be proud of having one of the top 10 casinos in the world, Baden-Baden, which is also the first gambling venue in the Country active since 1765.
Best betting sites in Germany 2021
With so much interest in gambling and the most robust economy in Europe, it is only natural for football betting in Germany to become a standard day-to-day occupation for many players. Over 60% of the population engaging in sports betting at least once a week. Moreover, since there are a lot of betting sites with bookmaker bonuses focusing on the German market, we’re using our industry experts to give you the best ones.
German Betting Legislation
Before jumping into recommendations and examples of the best bookmakers in Germany, let’s take a look at the German Gaming Legislation to understand how online betting has evolved in this territory properly. You may want to get a cup of coffee because the path authorities took trying to regulate gambling, and online betting is not exactly following the German way of doing things.
- On the 1st of January 2008, the first attempt to regulate gambling was put into effect. With 15 out of the 16 federal states backing it, except Schleswig-Holstein, the Interstate Treaty prohibited all forms of online gambling, and foreign providers were banned. At the same time, all the land-based betting shops where provisioned to be run through the state-owned Oddset.
- For two years with the Treaty in place, the online betting activity continued untouched since there were no legal actions taken by the authorities. Then, in 2010, the European Court of Justice ruled against the Treaty for violating the EU competition law and failing to establish consistent legislation regarding all kinds of gambling.
- In July 2012, the German Gambling Commission proposed a revised version of the Interstate Treaty. Private betting sites are now able to apply for a license. However, the maximum number of permits is capped at 20, and a state tax of 5% is also introduced.
- Even before the Interstate Treaty was ‘reformed,’ Schleswig-Holstein came forward with their version of a gambling law, which offered the possibility for international online bookies to apply for one of the 23 6-years licenses.
- Unfortunately, a change in the Schleswig-Holstein government lead to the withdrawal of the Gambling Act in July 2012, and the state finally acceded the Interstate Treaty. However, this setback in efforts to liberalize the market has drawn the attention of the EU once again. And, in 2016, the same Court of Justice cancelled the federal law and demanded another revision.
- Finally, another federal law was passed in January 2017, which stated that international online betting sites could apply for a license and get one of the 40 total licenses offered by the authorities. However, this law has never been put in effect, and the state of limbo continues in Germany.
- In 2020, the 16 states had a conference in Berlin where they agreed on the current state of toleration towards sports betting sites until June 2021. In the meantime, operators should be able to apply for licenses once again, but everything needs to be approved by the European Commission as well.
As a summary to all these events and attempts from the authorities to regulate online betting, you should know that nothing is stopping you from using any online betting site you might feel suits you. With no blocks or actions taken against punters, all the top international bookmakers are open for business when it comes to German punters.
Pros and Cons of Unlicensed Betting Sites
We’ve seen how to the sports betting legal landscape is in Germany, now it’s time to look at the positive and negative aspects of choosing a bookmaker that focuses in Deutschland.
Pros
- Truly High Odds
- Very Fast Withdrawals
- Full Range of Live Bets
- Diverse Betting Markets
- Generous Welcome Bonuses
- No Taxes Applied on Winnings
- Popular German Payment Options Available
- Website & Customer Support Offered in German
Cons
There are no real cons to playing at regulated online betting sites not licensed in Germany. Respectful and trustworthy authorities license the vast majority of the online bookmakers. Great examples are the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, or the Svenskaspel Inspektionen.
Again, since bookmakers aren’t able to apply for a license as the legal framework doesn’t exist yet, nothing is keeping German punters from joining international bookies to enjoy the highest-quality services in sports betting. There are no IP blocks in place, which means you won’t even need a VPN to access these sites. The only thing we recommend when choosing a bookmaker that’s not on our list is to check if a trustworthy authority licenses them.
Payment Methods in German Online Betting sites
The entire range of online betting sites payment options is available for German punters as well. Despite some efforts from the authorities to limit the use of German bank accounts at international sportsbooks, the attempt failed, and there’s a comprehensive offer to choose from. Sofort, or Klarna as it’s called now, and Giropay are some of the most popular payment options in Germany for their increased level of security and processing speed. However, German punters are not shy about using ewallets like PayPal, Skrill or Neteller as well as PaySafe vouchers and credit cards.
Best German Sports Betting Sites
It’s time to get right down to business with some of the best betting sites for German punters. Using the list provided by our experts, you will save a lot of time by not chasing dodgy bookmakers. Our professional punters have individually tested each recommendation so you have the guarantee of quality and safety. So, no matter if you’re looking for high odds, excellent bonuses, and diverse betting markets, we’ve got you covered. Without further ado, here are the top German football bookmakers!
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