Google limits gambling advertising to licensed operators in Germany
The search giant has announced that it will only accept ads from GGL-licensed operators.
Germany.- Google has announced that it will only allow locally licensed gambling operators to promote gambling via its advertising services in Germany. From September 25, gambling advertisers will need to be licensed by the German federal gambling regulator Glücksspielbehörde (GGL).
The requirement will also apply to affiliates, and Google will no longer allow the advertising of gambling aggregation services that link to offers from different operators. All previous certifications for gambling advertising will be revoked.
The search giant’s update states: “Only gambling operators and brokers licensed by the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) will be eligible to apply for advertising certification for the gambling products specified in our Gambling and Games Policy.”
It said the measure, which only applies to Germany, will feature in the terms and conditions of Google’s Gambling and Games Policy from September 25.
New measures from Germany’s gambling regulator
The move comes as the GGL launches a new coordination strategy on gambling addiction with state authorities. Chairman Ronald Benter will meet with the authorities of each of Germany’s 16 federal states in a bid to improve cooperation and exchange ideas about how to improve legislation to combat gambling addiction.
The GGL said meetings were intended to allow the regulator to “better understand the challenges faced by state coordination offices and to develop joint approaches for intensified cooperation”. It has identified coordination as a challenge and will prioritise feedback on healthcare and public welfare.
Meanwhile, the Higher Administrative Court in Saxony-Anhalt has backed the GGL’s call for powers to act against streamers based abroad. The regulator had lodged a legal challenge related to a German streamer who was promoting unlicensed online slot games from outside of the country.
The court found that the GGL was right to intervene under the principle of territoriality in international law because “the content created in German is aimed at a German-speaking area. It is therefore mainly addressed to viewers who access the streaming content from Germany”.
