Berlin takes charge of German gambling oversight

A new Chairman of the Administrative Board of the German gambling regulator, the GGL, has been appointed ahead of a landmark review of the country’s gambling framework.

From 1 July, Christian Hochgrebe assumed the rotating chairmanship of the Administrative Board, succeeding Sandro Kirchner, who served during the previous term.

The annual transition reflects Germany’s constitutional model, under which gambling regulation remains the responsibility of the Länder (states) rather than the federal government. 

Consequently, the chairmanship of the GGL Administrative Board rotates each year between representatives of the federal states, ensuring the regulator’s strategic direction reflects Germany’s cooperative system of state governance.

Flagship German gambling regulations under review

Hochgrebe assumes the role as the GGL prepares for the statutory review of the Interstate Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV 2021), the first comprehensive assessment of the framework since it entered into force in 2021.

The review is expected to examine whether the treaty’s provisions on gambling advertising, deposit limits, customer protection obligations and wider responsible gambling measures remain fit for purpose after five years of implementation.

However, the evaluation is not expected to revisit two of the treaty’s defining restrictions: the €1 stake limit on online slot games and the broader product restrictions applied to the regulated online German gambling market.

Reflecting on his tenure, Kirchner said the past year had focused on strengthening the GGL’s institutional foundations. The regulator, he noted, had completed key personnel appointments while advancing its digital capabilities to improve supervision.

Kirchner added that enforcement against illegal gambling had been significantly intensified, particularly through measures targeting hosting providers and payment service providers. 

At the same time, the regulatory framework governing licensed operators had been refined “to increase the attractiveness of legal offerings” as the GGL sought to improve channelisation towards the regulated market.

Those developments, he suggested, leave the authority better equipped both to supervise licensed operators and to disrupt offshore businesses continuing to target German consumers.

Political scrutiny of the treaty is also coming from other quarters, however, such as from the govenring Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party.

Can the regulator achieve stability for German gambling?

Looking ahead, Hochgrebe said the GGL enters its next phase with stable governance structures but an ambitious legislative agenda.

Alongside overseeing the Interstate Treaty review, he identified the continued development of supervision of licensed operators and “the fight against illegal structures” as the regulator’s principal priorities.

For the German gambling sector, the review is expected to become one of the most closely watched regulatory exercises in Europe. 

Policymakers are set to assess whether amendments are needed to advertising rules, deposit limits and customer protection duties, while leaving the treaty’s core market restrictions intact.

Commenting on the transition, GGL board member Ronald Benter said the authority’s close cooperation with Germany’s federal states is built on mutual trust and support. 

Benter added that the GGL is “well prepared for a year full of challenges’ with Hochgrebe assuming the chairmanship as the regulator commits to delivering consistent and effective supervision of Germany’s gambling market.