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Germany with a self-exclusion program to protect local gamblers

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German gambling will become even safer for local players on August 2nd when the OASIS self-exclusion system goes online.


July 2021 was an exciting time for the world of regulated online gambling as Germany’s new State Treaty on Gambling (GlüNeuRStV) came into operation. The long-awaited agreement made it legal for licensed operators to offer both online poker and online casino gambling across all German states.

Despite the financial potential of the German online gambling industry, the new Gambling Authority is not willing to throw caution to the wind. One of the primary mandates of the newly reformed regulation is the protection of local players from gambling harm.

Rest at the OASIS

Learning from the successful player protection protocols instituted by the likes of the UK Gaming Commission, the German regulatory body is currently carrying out the final testing phase of a nationwide self-exclusion program aptly named OASIS.

As a rapid response to the GlüNeuRStV being written into law on July 1st, the state of Hesse has confirmed that the self-exclusion platform and all necessary tools needed to launch the program across Germany would be in place by August 2nd.

The German Authority has made its intentions crystal clear, announcing that all licensed and regulated gambling providers must register with OASIS as part of their licensing agreement. Failure to do so, or to comply with the requirements of the OASIS program, could see their licenses being revoked.

How will it work?

What many newcomers to German gambling may not realise is that while OASIS is being adapted to safeguard online gamblers, it is not a new system. In fact, it has been in operation in Hesse since 2014 where it has been the driving force behind securing the wellbeing of local land-based gamblers monitoring player activity across more than 64 gaming halls.

The state of Hesse has been the core driver of evolving OASIS into a platform that effectively serves as the country’s multi-site exclusion system.

They have ported the existing land-based focused system over to one that can manage the full suite of newly licensed online casinos while ensuring that:

  1. Accurate online player data is gathered, stored, and protected.
  2. All licensed gambling sites are registered with OASIS.
  3. All players can easily self-exclude from gambling using the system.
  4. All legal sites are checking all new signups against the excluded player list.

Standard self-exclusion using the OASIS system triggers a minimum exclusion period of one year, while there will be the option to initiate special limited-time exclusions for shorter periods.

Any operators found to be allowing excluded players access to existing player accounts (or allowing them to create new player accounts) stand to face heavy fines and perhaps even be permanently banned from the region.

Walking the walk

The GlüNeuRStV does not put all the push for player protection solely on the shoulders of the operators and the OASIS self-exclusion system, they have willingly limited their own financial gain to protect players.

Understanding the current financial climate and the drawcard that a newly regulated market is the Gambling Authority has imposed several severe restrictions including:

• Limiting slot machine spins to a maximum value of €1.
• Limiting monthly deposits to €1000 total across all casinos.
• Limiting gambling ads to between 9 pm and 6 am daily.

These limitations are all in place to protect players from overspending at newly legal online casinos and allowing the market to find its feet without putting anyone at unnecessary risk.

While some operators and local broadcast media outlets have voiced their disproval of the restrictions, citing a loss of income and limited return on investment, the regulator remains resolute in its focus on creating a stable and reputable marketplace for the long term.

Published: July 16, 2021

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Article by Stelly

CasinoWow Contributor

Hey there! I am Stelly, and happily, I'm part of CasinoWow's content team. It excites me to be able to write and share with all gambling enthusiasts unbiased reviews and news that contribute to the gambling community and industry. Thankfully, I also have the chance to help you make an informed choice for casino brands and games, as well as provide interesting guides and news.

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