German gambling regulator launches collaboration with Federal Drug Commissioner
The GGL’s chair says ”regulation needs partners” as he seeks collaborations to tackle gambling addiction.
Germany.- The federal gambling regulator, Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), has launched its collaboration with Germany’s Commissioner for Drugs and Addiction as it seeks partners to help improve player protection and tackle gambling addiction. In a meeting with Dr. Hendrik Streeck, GGL chair Ronald Benter stressed the importance of joint working.
The GGL and the Federal Drug Commissioner pledged to establish a continuous dialogue, with the aim of integrating research, counselling, and regulatory practice into a unified national approach to player protection.
“Regulation needs partners,” Benter said. “The GGL sees itself as an interface between politics, authorities, research and prevention institutions. The challenges in gambling addiction prevention can only be overcome together.”
Topics of discussion included potential updates to Germany’s Criminal Code (StGB) to expand regulatory enforcement powers against offshore gambling providers. Both sides stressed the importance of evidence-based policymaking and consistent application of the law. Benter reiterated that the Interstate Gambling Treaty of 2021 provides a solid foundation, and that any changes should be carefully targeted and data-driven.
The meeting came after Streeck addressed state authorities on Germany’s Gambling Addiction Action Day in September, when he also published a report that estimated between 1.3 and 1.4 million adults in Germany are addicted to gambling, and 3.5 million more considered at risk.
“Gambling addiction remains one of the most common, yet least visible, dependencies in Germany,” Streeck warned, noting that many cases go untreated for years.
The GGL says that a full review of the 2021 Interstate Gambling Treaty will be completed by the end of 2026.
