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Revenues from German casinos are increasing
With a turnover of 860.2 million euros gross, the gaming halls in Germany were able to conclude 2019 with a significant and unexpected increase in annual turnover. According to the figures of the German Gaming Hall Association, this represents an increase in turnover of more than 25.6% compared to 2018.
Such a sales improvement has only been recorded for the first time in Germany in the last 10 years. What can explain this immense increase in demand for gaming halls in Germany today? And what does this development mean for the visitor numbers of German gaming halls and online casinos in 2020?
the CasinoAllianz.com Team Has set out to search for the answers to the developments of the German gaming establishments and the upcoming legalization of online casinos in Germany in 2021.
The legalization is no longer “coming”. The Gambling State Treaty 2021 has been in force since 01.07.2021. The Joint Gambling Authority of the Länder (GGL) has existed since 01.07.2021 and has been operational in carrying out the central tasks since 01.01.2023. For players, this means: Legal online offers are subject to binding protection requirements (including provider-wide limits, blocking systems).
Table: Casinos in Germany – Classification of the numbers (2019-2025)
|
year |
BSE / Gross player revenue (game banks) |
Visitors (if available) |
Context for readers (briefly) |
|
2019 |
860.2 million € |
6.4 million |
Reference year before the pandemic; strong growth compared to 2018. |
|
2020 |
Pandemic year (strong decline) |
Significantly less |
Closures/restrictions distort the trend. |
|
2021 |
Further damped |
muffled |
Recovery is beginning, but not at the level of pre-crisis. |
|
2023 |
Clearly recovered |
Close to pre-crisis level |
Wide relaxation in many federal states. |
|
2024 |
Very strong level |
high |
In many evaluations, a new high after the pandemic. |
|
2025 |
Depending on the source/part quantity |
Depending on the source/part quantity |
When comparing, make sure to check whether the total market or association members are meant. |
German casinos record significant increase in turnover in 2019
Looking at the visitor numbers of the total of just under 70 gaming halls in Germany, there is a clear increase in 2018. This is exactly 6.4 million gaming hall visitors in Germany. An increase from 5.7 million in 2018 by 13.2%. By the way: Unlike online casinos, German gaming halls are subject to the concessions of the state. Slot machines are one of the reasons for the growing turnover of gaming halls. This can be clearly seen from the statistics published for 2019: turnover from gaming at slot machines is €700 million, which means an increase of 32% compared to the previous year. Demand for table games, on the other hand, fell by 4.1% and still amounted to around €160 million. In recent times, only the year 2007 can be named as the year when German gaming halls were able to achieve even higher revenues of €923 million. The visitor numbers in 2007 were 8.9 million. Since 2007 until 2017, the revenues and visitor numbers of gaming halls fell into a real valley, which was finally able to come to an end with the boom in 2019.
Growing demand
Otto Wulferding, the chairman of the Board of Directors of the German Gaming Association, or DsbV for short, explains this decline in sales over the past 10 years with the growing demand for online casinos. In his opinion, the competencies and qualities of German gaming establishments should play a significant role in the requirements for digital casinos. In recent years, gaming establishments have invested in the interior, casino games, and created new incentives. The leading player is the expansion of the number of slot machines. As the most profitable gaming establishments in Germany in 2018, the West German gaming establishments, the gaming establishments in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the Berlin gaming establishments can be mentioned. Of the German gaming establishments, 19 are regulated by state concessions, nine are publicly owned, and ten are privately owned. Possible reasons for the increase in sales of German gaming establishments in 2019:
- Investments in interior and slot machines
- Creation of incentives regarding infrastructure
- Safety in the casino to play legal gambling
- Increase in prosperity in Germany
New gambling laws will come in the summer of 2021
The rules announced in the text have been a reality since 2021. Central to this are, among other things: a cross-provider deposit limit (essentially 1,000 € per month), the OASIS player blocking system, and LUGAS tests (limit file/activity file) for central control and player protection.
https://youtu.be/8LIo6H93CH0?si=ZsIneipAugKOexXV
Mid-January 2020 The 16 federal states of Germany came to the decision To legalize online gambling. This means that Schleswig-Holstein’s unilateral approach, which has been controversial from many sides since 2011, as the only federal state offering and issuing gambling licenses, will soon be a thing of the past. From the summer of 2021, gambling will be legal in online casinos in Germany. As a direct consequence of this political decision, uncertainties on the part of the Germans will disappear. You can find more practical steps to this here: Online casino fraud: what to do? The forecasts state that demand for online casinos and betting houses will continue to rise in 2020 and will continue to increase in 2021. Andreas Pfeiffer, a board member of OnlineCasino Deutschland AG, describes this development as a major breakthrough for online gambling in Germany. So far, it looks like there will be a nationwide central authority from mid-2021 that is supposed to take over control and licensing for online casinos and online gambling. The authority should then be run in the form of an office for public law, short AöR, and be under the responsibility of the federal state’s Ministry of Finance or Economy. As a corresponding federal state, North Rhine-Westphalia is currently in talks. A directive authority of the ministers of the respective federal state is not permitted, as the AöR authority will operate independently.
Outlook: What will happen in 2020?
The nationwide legalization of online casinos in Germany will take place in the summer of 2021. Until then, it remains the case that only players with a first or second residence in Schleswig-Holstein can legally play in the online casinos licensed by the federal state. It is quite conceivable that the German gaming houses will decide to have an online presence with the legalization of online gambling in the federal states. Then it could only be a matter of time before the same conditions and chances of winning could apply online in the online casinos of the gaming houses and in the gaming houses. For 2020, it looks very good due to very low unemployment figures in Germany and a relatively good level of prosperity that demand for online gambling will continue to rise significantly. The decision to play games will therefore be easier for many in the future. And whether the way will rather lead to the gaming houses or to the virtual world of online casinos on the smartphone or iPhone depends on the very personal preferences of each individual. In the new state gaming contract From July 1, 2021, the requirements for legal playing of online casinos will beOnline slot machines and online poker, as well as sports betting, are regulated. In addition, player and youth protection are strengthened. A player file with all his gambling activities on the Internet is created for every player of online gambling.
Table: 2026 check – How do I recognize a legal online offer in Germany?
|
Test point |
What you should see |
Why relevant |
|
License & supervision |
Transparent provider information + indication of German authorization/supervision (GGL). |
Provides a clear point of contact and minimum standards. |
|
Deposit limit |
Clear display of the cross-provider limit (usually 1,000 €/month). |
Protects against overuse; mandatory in the legal system. |
|
OASIS |
Information on self-lockout + visible implementation of the lockout query. |
Central player protection (across game types). |
|
LUGAS |
Technical limit/activity check, no parallel play bypass. |
Makes bypassing via multiple providers more difficult. |
|
Player protection tools |
Reality checks, session timers, limits, help links. |
Increases transparency & control for players. |