New German gambling regulator ready to start duties

Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) is ready to take over next month.

Germany.- The new German federal gaming regulator Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) has announced that it’s ready to begin its duties following a symbolic handover from the country’s Gambling College. The inter-state college held its last meeting this week, passing the baton to the new regulator.

While the GGL has already begun some of its work, taking on responsibility for enforcement, Die Glücksspielbehörde will take over full regulatory duties for German gaming from next month. That will mean the end of Germany’s fractured system under which different verticals are the responsibility of different states.

Until now, the state administration of Saxony-Anhalt has been responsible for issuing online casino licences, Hessen has overseen sports betting, Rheinland-Pfalz charitable lotteries, Hamburg commercial lotteries and Niedersachsen lottery brokerage.

The GGL said it would take on “around 20 very well-trained employees at the beginning of the year from the Saxony-Anhalt State Administration Office”. More experts are expected to be hired.

The new regulator has its headquarters in Halle, in the south of Saxony-Anhalt. Bundestag representative Anne Poggemann has been serving as the state’s first gambling minister and overseeing its creation. Ronald Benter and Benjamin Schwanke will lead the regulator as joint chief executives. 

Benter said: “With this step, an important milestone of the State Treaty on Gaming 2021 has been reached. The merging of competencies in the GGL raises the regulation of the online gambling market to a new level.”

Schwanke added: “We’re ready to go. We have set up the appropriate structures and processes to regulate the online gaming market effectively from January 1. In doing so, we can build on the experience of the Gambling College.”

Germany’s fourth Interstate Treaty on Gambling came into effect in July 2021 and allowed the launch of a regulated online gaming market.