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 live in Germany, you’ve probably seen operators advertising “legal online casino” offers and wondered: Is this really allowed? The short answer for 2025 is: Yes – but under the regulator’s conditions.