German Gambling Market – An Overview of the Last Decade

The German gambling market has seen significant changes and developments over the last ten years. A comparative analysis of the development of stakes for different gambling services provides valuable insight into the trends and shifts within the industry.

Looking at the development of the lottery market, tax revenue from lottery tax has shown a slight increase over the past decade. In 2023, lottery tax revenue totaled 1.766 billion euros, with a total participation fee of 11.039 billion euros. Despite the introduction of new gambling offers authorized by the State Treaty on Gambling in 2021, lottery stakes have remained relatively stable.

The sports betting market has also undergone changes, with the sports betting tax increasing to 5.3 percent of the assessment basis in 2021. Revenue from the sports betting tax totaled 409.072 million euros in 2023, resulting in a total participation fee of 8.150 billion euros. While there was a slight increase in sports betting stakes before 2021, there has been a decline since the new Interstate Gambling Treaty took effect.

The market for virtual slot machines has seen a clear downward trend in stakes since the State Treaty on Gambling came into force in 2021. Despite the popularity of sports betting and virtual slot machines being offered by the same providers, there has been a significant decline in virtual slot machine stakes compared to sports betting.

Online poker, on the other hand, has shown resilience in terms of stake development. While other gambling services have experienced fluctuations, online poker stakes have remained relatively stable. It is interesting to note that some companies offering online poker also provide sports betting and virtual slot machines, leading to potential shifts in the overall market dynamics.

Overall, the introduction of the State Treaty on Gambling in 2021 has had varying effects on different gambling services. Assuming tax compliance of illegal providers, the treaty has led to changes in tax revenues, with significant impacts on virtual slot machines and online poker. The future of the German gambling market remains uncertain, with potential shifts in stake development and market dynamics to watch out for.

In conclusion, the German gambling market has seen significant changes over the last decade, with different gambling services experiencing varied trends in stake development. It will be interesting to see how the market evolves in the coming years and how regulatory changes will impact the industry as a whole.

Get ahead of the game by understanding the impacts of regulatory changes on the German gambling market. Contact Thees Buschmann (thees@chevron.group), Lawrence Marchese (lawrence@chevron.group) and Kurt Laferla(kurt@chevron.group) from Chevron Group for an expert advice.