Microgaming Support Germany’s Toleration of Gambling Regulations

Gambling in Germany is faced with the same problems that face the USA, while there is a broad federal regulation each of its sixteen states is self-determined and as such has the right to implement its own regulations.

Schleswig-Holstein is one of a minority of German states which decided to offer gambling licenses to operators, however, these licenses are only valid for players within its territory. Any online gambling beyond its borders would be deemed illegal under the Interstate Treaty on Gambling 2012/2020.

 A Brave New World

Given the free trade agreements that exist within the European Union, the realities of a burgeoning black market and the financial viability of a regulated gambling ecosystem German federal law is in the process of adopting a new State Treaty on Gaming (GlüStV).

Rather than strike back at unlicensed operators and those operating under the limited state licenses Germany is taking a more inclusive approach.

During the transitional period, from now until the new regulation comes into force in July 2021, operators may continue to operate in a legally approved fashion proving they adhere to the following guidelines:

• All gambling products must be in German to avoid confusion and misinterpretation of terms
• No mainstream media gambling advertising will be allowed during the transition
• Gamblers are limited to a maximum monthly deposit limit of €1000
• Players can apply to have this increased to €30,000 but will face enhanced due diligence reviews
• Online slot may not exceed €1 per spin
• The timeframe between spins must be a minimum of 5 seconds
• All multi-play slot options must be removed from the gambling site

While operators were initially given until October 15th to comply with the above restrictions the Gaming Authority has extended this transition window till December 15th, 2020.

 Microgaming Promises Compliance

Industry veteran Microgaming has officially announced its support for Germany’s new regulations and praised its even-handed approach to dealing with unlicensed operators during the transition.

Leon Thomas, Commercial Director at Microgaming, said:

“As a socially responsible business, Microgaming broadly supports the regulatory changes in Germany, where we will be providing our customers with a solution that includes some of our most popular and successful titles – long before the new gambling laws coming into force next year.”

To support Germany’s attempts to grow their gambling market while promoting responsible gambling, and to ensure Microgaming operators remain compliant, the company has guaranteed a fully compliant solution by October 15th.

Their official press release states:

“Microgaming will launch a solution by 15 October that conforms with the German Toleration Regime, allowing clients to be technically ready to enter the German market at the flick of a switch.”

This compliancy ready solution is said to offer more than 150 casino games which meet the German gambling requirements in terms of maximum spin cost, timeframes and multi-play removal. German casino fans can look forward to legally playing such beloved online and mobile slot titles like Book of Oz, 9 Masks of Fire and Bonanza!