Saxony-Anhalt Court Gives the Thumbs Up to GGL’s Streaming Ban

Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt Higher Administrative Court supported banning streamers that promote unlicensed gambling to people in the country. The decision by the court affirms Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder’s (GGL) earlier ban on an influential German streamer.

The decision was welcomed by GGL board member Ronald Benter who said that this marks a huge milestone in the battle against illegal gambling. Benter also promised that the GGL will take even stricter action against streamers based abroad who target German audiences with illegal gambling content.

For context, the GGL had previously raised the matter after identifying an influential German streamer who promoted unlicensed gambling to German audiences. As someone based abroad, he played and promoted slot titles that are not legal in Germany, streaming his experience to German consumers on Kick.

The Saxony-Anhalt Higher Administrative Court pointed out that the content in question was in German and clearly targeted local audiences, potentially enticing them to play unlicensed games of chance.

Even worse, the content could have appealed to minors, considering that they constitute a large portion of the streaming audiences, the court argued. Both it and the GGL agreed that streaming could serve as a direct form of advertising and endanger younger audiences.

The GGL Is Investigating the Effect of Ads on Vulnerable Players

The GGL is currently undertaking a thorough probe into the effect of gambling advertising on public health. Unfortunately, the extensive nature of this study means that it will likely conclude no earlier than 2026.

The comprehensive study will examine various advertising techniques, including TV commercials, social media promotions, bonus offers, and other methods used to attract players. The review will also assess the effect advertisement has on problem gamblers and vulnerable audiences.

In other news, Germany’s online casino association Deutscher Online Casinoverband (DOCV) expressed disagreement with the GGL’s latest update on the country’s regulated market. The former organization said that it believes the GGL underestimated the size of the black market and its profound influence.

While the DOCV acknowledged the difficulties faced by the GGL, it noted that it hopes to see the figures in question updated.

The online casino association also commented on the ongoing market evaluations, saying that it expects the final report to come in 2027 at the earliest.