How We Select the Best Online Casinos in Germany
The German online casino market is chock-full of options for players. As we compiled our list of the top online casinos in Germany, we checked each site against a number of criteria to ensure you receive only the best online casino experience. Here are a few things we look for when we search for the best online casinos:
Promotions, Rewards, and Bonuses
An online casino in Germany should be player-focused and reward loyalty. That’s why our experts review each and every German online casino site to determine which have the best offers to players. To fully enjoy a casino online, Germany players should have access to sign up bonuses, loyalty programs, and other promotions that elevate the gaming experience.
Safety and Security
Your information and transactions should be treated with the utmost care when you’re playing at the best online casinos in Germany. We select sites that achieve a high standard of security and use high-level encryption to protect your data. We check for licensing information, RNG verification, 24/7 customer support, and a number of other factors when reviewing German online casino sites.
Deposit and Withdrawal Methods
Playing for real money is one of the primary draws of the best German online casino sites. But what use is playing for real money if you don’t have a variety of deposit and withdrawal methods? We understand the importance of a seamless payment and withdrawal experience. Our German online casino selections provide you with safe, fast, and secure methods of funding your account and withdrawing winnings.
Games, Games, Games
An online casino wouldn’t be much without casino games! Naturally, we prioritize German online casino games when we review websites for our top list. We recommend online casinos with large game libraries and various different types of popular slots and table games. You should always be able to find a game to enjoy when you play at a German online casino, and we have you covered.
German Online Casino Bonuses and Promotions
As mentioned above, bonuses play a huge part in setting the best online casinos apart from the lacklustre. When they participate in online gambling, Germany casino gamers should keep an eye out for lucrative offers that elevate the online casino experience and add more funds into their accounts. Here are a few common bonus types that you might find at the biggest casinos in Germany online.
No Deposit Bonus
Germany online casino no deposit bonus offers are simple and fairly common. They usually come in one of two forms, and sometimes casinos will combine them. The first type is free spins, which allow players to take a few spins for free on a slot game. The offer usually provides anywhere from 10 to 50 free spins, and you can keep your winnings to use on other titles. The second type is typically just called a “no deposit bonus” and comes in the form of a credit to your account. The amount ranges anywhere from €5 to €20 depending on the site. And sometimes, German online casinos will combine the monetary offer with free spins, giving you some extra bang for your buck.
Loyalty and Rewards Programs
While no deposit bonuses at online casinos in Germany offer great incentive to sign up, loyalty programs are great from long-term players who enjoy playing on a regular basis. Every online casino rewards program is different, but they usually allow you to accumulate rewards for playing over time. Free spins, credits, and other exclusive rewards are often available.
Deposit Match
Online casinos in Germany may also offer deposit match promotions, which can be especially beneficial to players. Sites offering this bonus will match your first deposit (sometimes your second as well) up to a certain amount, effectively doubling your deposit amount. This bonus type may be easier found at big casinos in Germany who have an online presence, as they can afford to pay more for new users.
Other Bonus Types
You may find a plethora of other bonus types at German online casinos. Refer-a-friend promotions are not too common, but if you can find one it can provide a nice boost to your accounts by crediting your wallet every time a friend signs up using your referral code or link. If a casino offers live dealer games, some grant you a bonus in the form of some free chips for those games.
The bottom line is: keep a lookout for great offers, as new ones pop up constantly at both established and new online casinos.
Popular Online German Casino Games
Game variety can set an online casino apart from competitors, and we take that into account when we recommend the best online casinos in Germany. Below we cover some of the most popular games you’ll find online in Germany:
Online Slots
Chances are you’ll encounter hundreds of slots titles at a German online casino, and that’s for good reason! Slots are incredibly popular in Europe, like at neighboring top Austrian casinos, and Germany is no different. Top developers lend their games to online casino sites in Germany, so you’ll find a huge portfolio of available slots using a number of popular themes and licenses.
Plus, if you claim a free spins bonus, you can try a few games without even making a deposit.
Live Dealer
Uniting the worlds of land-based and online casinos in Germany, live dealer games offer a unique experience. A real dealer doles out cards for games like blackjack or baccarat, and the computer system settles bets and pays out wins. You can live stream the dealer right on your device and chat with other players as the game progresses. It’s closely replicates gambling at casinos in Germany while streamlining the experience for the online format.
Table Games
Roulette, blackjack, baccarat, poker, and many more popular table and card games are available at Germany online casinos. Land-based favourites are optimized for mobile and online gaming. Popular variants make their way to the online space, too, giving you tons of table game options.
German Gambling Legislation
Millions of Germans play online every day, but again we should point out that, Germany’s laws are a bit complicated. Unlike Sweden and Denmark, who have set up proper regulatory frameworks for online casinos, the country is still fleshing out its stance towards online gambling.
2008 was the start of the German gambling saga, when the first Interstate Treaty on Gambling (ISTG) came into effect. The original form of the legislation was intended to impose restrictions on operators in order to protect consumers from addiction and to mitigate fraud. Little provision was made for Germany online gambling in the legislation, but it was signed by 15 of the country’s 16 states and passed into law. The exception was the state of Schleswig-Holstein.
In 2010, this legislation was thrown into question by a European Court of Justice ruling that found Germany’s online gambling restrictions to be illegal. The court ruled that the laws on sports betting constitute a restriction on the freedom to provide services and the freedom of establishment.
The state of Schleswig-Holstein took a completely different route to the rest of Germany and established its own laws in September 2011, with the regulations coming into effect in January 2012. The legislation stated that operators could bid for licenses for various forms of gambling, including sports betting, poker and German online casinos. Operators would be liable for 20% tax, and licenses would last for a period of five years with no upper limit on the amount of licenses to be issued.
Around the same time – in December 2011 – the original ISTG was updated to include a degree of framework for online gambling in Germany. Provision was made to allow online lotteries and to allow up to 20 licences for sports betting, with the licensed companies liable for a 5% tax. The changes also included a removal of the internet blocks on German and foreign online casinos, although they remain unregulated. These concessions required operators issued with sports betting licences to cease offering poker and casino products to German customers, and the legislation may still fall short of both German and European competition laws.
By July 2012, under new leadership, Schleswig-Holstein declared its intention to sign the Interstate Treaty, but by that time it had already issued several licences, including 23 for online casino operators. These licenses expired 2018 when their term finished. Now, the landscape is still in a state of change, but regulated German online casino gaming appears closer than ever.
The European Commission had expressed concerns over the ISTG when the amendments were made in 2012, and gave Federal States a period of two years to evaluate the adaptability of the regulation. That period expired in July 2014, although there have been no clear answers publicised as yet. Meanwhile, in June 2014, the European Court of Justice ruled that the Schleswig-Holstein licences were not consistent with EU legislation, and therefore would not be extended to other states. The court also ruled that it was acceptable for a country to have two separate licensing regimes – as is the case in Germany – as long as the stricter of the regimes does not contradict European competition laws.
More recently, Germany has seen legislative progress that could lead to the country embracing online gaming more than ever before. German lawmakers approved a plan to legalise online poker and casinos effective July 2021. Before the law becomes official, though, it needs approval by German state parliaments and review by the European Commission.
Spoiled for Choice
As you’ll gather, the legal issues around gambling in Germany remain uncertain. There are, however, plenty of online casinos licensed in other countries which accept German players and offer their site in German. Given that Germany has one of the biggest per capita gambling spends in Europe, it should be of no surprise that most large European operators cater to people here.
As German online casinos are not regulated by the country’s law, players should be vigilant about which sites they deposit money to. There would be no legal recourse if an operator disappeared with your money or refused to pay out winnings, so we strongly recommend only playing at the most reputable sites.
We advise all of our users to thoroughly check the license of online casinos in Germany before playing, as well as reading the reviews on this website. We only recommend the most reputable spots so stick with us and you're guaranteed to find a legit place to play.
In terms of registering at a casino and depositing money to start betting, it couldn’t be easier. German online casinos usually require you to provide some personal details along with proof that you are over 18. There are no restrictions on banking methods, but as the casino is likely to be based offshore, most people use international payment methods such as Skrill and Neteller or cash transfer services.
As well as being more reliable and secure, the larger operators also feature a much wider variety of casino games and slot machines, and most offer mobile versions of their casinos, based on Flash and HTML5 instant-play games.
Germany Land-Based Casinos
Though the online gambling laws in Germany are constantly in flux, the country does have dozens of land-based casino properties. There are five casinos in Berlin, Germany, along with many others throughout the country.
If you’re looking for the largest casino in Germany, however, you’ll have to head to Dortmund. Spielbank Do-Hohensyburg takes the award for the country’s biggest casino. The property has hundreds of slot machines and a few dozen table games.
