Germany’s online gambling market operates under the Interstate Treaty on Gambling 2021 (GlüStV 2021) and is supervised (for cross-state online gambling) by the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL). The whole point of the framework is channelisation (moving players into legal offers), but with strong player protection baked in – limits, checks, and advertising rules that directly shape what a “welcome bonus” can realistically look like.

If you’re looking to play online poker in Germany, the good news is that it’s legal on platforms that hold a German permit under the Glücksspielstaatsvertrag 2021 (GlüStV 2021) and are listed on the regulator’s official whitelist.

LUGAS is Germany’s centralised monitoring system for online gambling activity. Introduced through the GlüStV 2021 regulation, it was created to enforce nationwide player protection rules – especially the €1,000 monthly deposit limit applied across all licensed online casinos.