Schleswig-Holstein is currently the only federal state that issues licenses for games of chance on the Internet. Anyone who sees spots from relevant providers on TV during the commercial break will therefore always encounter the notice that the advertised offer "only applies to people with residence or habitual abode in Schleswig-Holstein".

While there is currently still a dispute about whether such advertising can still be broadcast nationwide, the federal states agreed on gaming reform at the beginning of the year, which is why the market will probably open in summer 2021 at the latest. If you want to start preparing now, you will find the potentially best casinos here.

The reasons for the continuing upswing in online casinos are varied. On the one hand, the advancing digitization, which affects all industries, certainly also plays a role here. Anyone who can do without the dignified ambience of a casino or for whom the possible dress code or the audience may also represent a social hurdle can find entertainment and gaming fun from the comfort of their home with the online offerings of the gambling providers and perhaps even hope for a really big win .

But the offer is also broader online. While the casinos on site are mostly z. If, for example, you only concentrate on classic table games or only offer a handful of different slot machines, the selection on the Internet is naturally larger - and, above all, always only a click away.

State Treaty on Gambling is being revised

It is understandable that the boom in online casinos is forcing the state to act. For years, the individual federal states have been struggling to redesign the gaming market in Germany, because the massive technical changes in the recent past have literally exploded the previously unregulated gaming offerings. As mentioned at the beginning, only Schleswig-Holstein has issued the relevant licenses so far, but the minister-presidents of the federal states have now basically approved a new state treaty. Now this has to be approved by the respective state parliaments, so that the new state treaty could start on July 1, 2021 - then the current one will expire.

If this happens as planned, then the games of chance on the Internet, which are often in a legal gray area, such as slots or poker games, would in principle be permitted in the future, although the government is planning strict regulations here to protect players. So one wants to oblige the providers to introduce a lock file, in addition there should be a monthly deposit limit for games of chance on the Internet. There are no concrete figures yet, but according to unconfirmed reports, there is talk of a maximum amount of 1,000 euros.

The state wants to earn money

While addiction prevention measures are right and important, the state is certainly also bothered by the fact that unregulated gambling does not generate any income for it.

While casinos and companies registered in Schleswig-Holstein have to pay taxes on their income, the sales of many online casinos bypass the state coffers, while state offers such as the lottery lose income due to competition. Providers who are registered in the EU but do not have a German license are currently illegal from a purely legal point of view. However, since there is no real action against their use, they are in fact largely tolerated. With the new regulation, the offers would be legal overnight and the state can take a slice of the billions in the gambling market.