Legalities
As recently as 2012, online gambling was seriously outlawed in Germany. Over the past few years, though, certain reforms have been put in place to allow online casino play, as long as operators remain well regulated by German authorities, to protect the German people from unfair business practice. Certain regions within the country have slightly different stances on upholding regulations in comparison to others and so the actual navigation of regulations and legalities around online gambling are not very clear and can be confusing to the German public.
In the near future, this will no longer be an issue thanks laws that have recently been passed. As of the 1st of July 2021, those who wish to enjoy everything that online casinos in Germany have to offer will be able to do so legally!
At the same time, on the 1st of July 2021, the State Treaty on Gambling 2021 is fully in effect. It includes many changes (check them out here), including payments via cash or vouchers being no longer available.
Online casino games, online poker, and sports betting will all be legal once the final legislation is approved. It should be noted that there will be strict laws and rules in place to protect players from harm. Some of the rules include a limit on when sports betting wagers can be placed as well as online slots bets being capped at €1.
It is for this reason that we at CasinoWow have partnered with the gambling public, to bring them the top online casinos that observe German regulation and offer a safe and secure entertainment that ensures that you will be kept safe from abuse and from the ire of the authorities.
Latest AML and Deposit Limit Changes❗️
In 2020 many decisions were made and this affected all licensed casino operators. Since of October the same year, casinos have to verify the identity of each player and notify them for the amount of money they've lost over the last 30 days of playing. Furthermore, restrictions regarding the deposit limits were made - limits cannot exceed €1,000 per month or €500 a day.
Characteristics of 100% German Online Casinos
Because of the size of the market, certain casinos tailor do their service for the German market. The following criteria can be expected and found in a top German online casino:
1. Language and Currency
Playing online can be daunting enough for some people, without having to navigate your way through all the terms, conditions, rules, and regulations in a foreign language.
Top European casinos ensure that their sites are translated into all of the major tongues of the continent, and as such will most definitely offer German as an official language to its players.
Next to playing in your language, is playing in your currency. The bother of having to work out currency conversions for deposits, payouts, and wagers, as well as having to pay pesky foreign currency charges can all be avoided by playing at a first-class € EUR online casino. This is absolutely essential for good bankroll management, which is pivotal to responsible gambling and iGaming success in the long and short term.
2. Great Customer Service
Casinos are aware that German people are used to good service excellence, so why should they receive anything less from an online casino provider? The best online casinos in Germany will most assuredly offer first-class 24/7 resolution procedures and be able to give you great advice on gameplay and other info if needed.
Many of the casinos will offer you the service of a live chat session with a customer services professional, to give you fast and efficient assistance wherever it may be needed. Tough German regulation makes sure that casino vendors offering services to the German people perform according to top international standards.
3. Safe and speedy Banking Methods
The online gambling industry is all about vigorous transacting of monies to and from the casino and players accounts; It is the nature of the business. Needless to say, top German casinos are required to transact cash quickly, safely, and efficiently. As such, you will find a number of banking methods on a German site, so that you can choose an option that suits you most.
A top German Euro casino will offer payment methods that Germans prefer to use. The three more popular forms of funding and withdrawing funds from a casino in Germany are:
Credit and Debit Cards
Visa and Mastercard still hold the title as the most popular form of transacting at European casinos. This method is generally quite fast as a depositing tool, however, can contract large fees on withdrawals, as well as taking up to 72 hours to receive your funds from a casino. However, most people are familiar with using their personal cards, and it stands to reason why it remains popular, even though often less secure.
E-Wallets
Electronic wallets are online accounts held by a third party that act as a middleman between your bank account and your casino operator. In order to top up the wallet, you need just transfer funds from your bank account into the wallet and then make payment to the vendor. This safeguards your sensitive banking information from the casino or any other online predator.
Transactions via e-wallet are generally the fastest real funds transactions available. Deposits are instant, and withdrawals can take anywhere from a few seconds to 24 hours to reflect.
The most popular forms of e-wallet used in Germany are PayPal, ecoPayz, Neteller, and Skrill. In the past PayPal have been shunned as a very unfriendly payment method for online gambling, due to the incredible amounts of red tape in transacting. Stricter regulation of casinos now ensures that PayPal does not play the ‘watchdog’ as they did in the past and have become a reasonably casino friendly method and a present German favourite.
Instant Transfers
SOFORT banking is an extremely popular payment method amongst the German public. This method, along with Trustly are the most recognised third-party Instant banking service providers. They pay forward cash to the casino and claim the funds from your bank once the payments clear. This improves the deposit time by between 24 to 48 hours in most cases, meaning that you can play immediately after processing the payment.
First names in German gambling entertainment
The German industry has left no scraps, but instead, are open to being entertained by the best names in the casino business. These establishments have built up strong reputations with several licenses around the globe.
Such names of gambling prestige include Casumo, Dunder, EUCasino, and StarGames Casino. There are more, but these prestigious casinos offer top-notch service and entertainment consistently.
Gambling 'on the go'
Rest assured that true world leaders in iGaming entertainment offer the possibility of playing on your desktop as well as your mobile device. The ‘on the go’ nature of playing on your mobile phone has already exceeded the popularity of playing on desktop devices.
Mobile gambling affords us the luxury of being able to play while waiting for the bus, standing in a queue, on your lunch break, or while riding on a taxi.
In short, the German market is treated to the finest in what the gambling industry can offer. German online casinos offer the widest selection of games, with the safest forms of money transfer, and are among the most regulated casinos, ensuring customer fairness and satisfaction.