Real money casino sites for Germany

The laws surrounding online gambling in Germany are complex and somewhat bizarre, but despite some confusing legalities, Germans have plenty of options available when it comes to gambling for real money online. We explain more about Germany’s online gambling laws and the leading online casinos that accept German players while catering to real money deposits using EUR.

#1	Aussie themed! Casino Mate $1400 + 80 Zero Wager Free Spins	Visit Casino-Mate Casino Mate Review
18+ Gamble Responsibly. Min Deposit $20. Max withdrawal $5000.
#2	Online Slots Kings Slots.lv 200% up to $1000	Join Slots.lv Slots.lv Review
#3	Watch out for the croc! House Of Jack $1000 + 200 Real Spins	Visit House of Jack House Of Jack Review
#4	Top RTG casino Raging Bull Casino 250% deposit bonus + 50 free spins	Visit Raging Bull Raging Bull Casino Review
#5	Start your engines! Ignition Casino 200% up to $2,000 Pokies & Poker Welcome Bonus!	Visit Ignition Ignition Casino Review
We’re welcoming players to Ignition with a combined Pokies & Poker Welcome Bonus — our biggest ever. Get up to $3,000 when you make your first deposit with Bitcoin, or up to $2,000 when you deposit with a credit card. Full terms.

Germany’s online gambling and casino industry

Germany has a flourishing gambling industry, with the country home to over 60 land based casinos and hundreds of betting shops and lottery outlets. In terms of land based gambling, Germany offers a well-regulated market, with gambling services available for adults over the age of 18. However, things get a little murky when the Internet comes into play.

Prior to 2008, there was nothing in Germany’s gambling laws that mentioned the Internet, so technically punters were free to gamble online with no restrictions. To stay up to date with the growing Internet penetration rates, the Interstate Treaty on Gambling (ISTG) was introduced in 2008, effectively banning all forms of online gambling. Gambling in Germany is regulated on a state-by-state level, and all 16 German states signed the Treaty.

In 2012, the state of Schleswig-Holstein opted out of the Treaty and decided to start issuing its own online gambling licenses under the Schleswig-Holstein Gambling Act. However, within a year the state government changed and the move to allow online gambling was reversed. Despite this, the operators who were already licensed by Schleswig-Holstein had a six-year licensing agreement, and were allowed to continue servicing German players within the state until their licenses expire in 2018.

Germany’s strict online gambling laws were heavily criticised, with many claiming the restrictions were in breach of European Union laws regarding fair trade and a competitive market. The ISTG was then reviewed in 2012 to allow online lotteries and some state-run online sports betting and horse racing sites, with the German government allowing just 20 online betting licenses for the country.

In February 2016, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) declared that the Treaty was indeed in breach of EU laws and the principles regarding a fair and open European market. The CJEU ruled that German authorities could not legally prosecute any online gambling operators who held legitimate gambling licenses from other European jurisdictions from offering their services to German players. As a result, a new Treaty was signed by all 16 states in March 2017 that would increase the number of online gambling licenses in the country to 40 when it comes into effect in 2018. The revised Treaty has already come under scrutiny for continuing to be too restrictive, with several German states considering a change of mind.

Operating under a newly elected government, Schleswig-Holstein announced it would not implement the new Treaty, but instead revert to the previously introduced Schleswig-Holstein Gambling Act. Whether any other German state will follow suit remains to be seen.

Is it legal to gamble online in Germany?

So, with all this information about Germany’s recent online gambling debates, can players legally gamble online in Germany? Technically it is illegal to do so, unless the online casino or betting operator has a license issued from the German government. However, due to the European Union court ruling, German players cannot be punished for choosing to play at offshore casino sites that are licensed elsewhere in Europe and with some of the leading offshore gambling jurisdictions allowing German players, there are plenty of reliable and secure choices, with easy access to hundreds of online slots, blackjack, roulette, poker and other popular casino games.

EUR/€ payment methods for German players

Deposits using EUR are widely accepted at many leading offshore casino sites, so German players have plenty of options when it comes to funding an online casino account with real money. Popular methods supporting € EUR deposits found at online casino sites include:

• Visa
• MasterCard
• Neteller
• Skrill
• ecoPayz
• Paysafecard
• Flexepin
• iDebit
• Direct bank transfers

When available, German players can also choose to deposit using Giropay, a secure online payment processing facility available exclusively for those with a German or Austrian bank account, which allows users to make safe online financial transactions without having to reveal personal information to the casino vendor. Mucho Vegas is our top-rated casino site that caters to German players with deposits available using popular payment methods as well as Giropay.

Best online casinos accepting Germans

Given the EU court ruling that a German resident cannot be penalised for playing at an offshore casino site, many of the leading online casinos warmly welcome German players while accepting deposits using EUR, with welcome bonuses available. Our top-rated German-friendly casino sites are listed in the casino table at the top of this page, which you can use to read our detailed reviews of each site or sign up directly to get access to some excellent new player sign-up packages.