Germany’s regulated gambling market will come under close examination in Berlin this November, as the Gaming in Germany Conference returns with regulation, channelisation and the future of the country’s online sector at the centre of the agenda.
The 2026 edition is scheduled for 10 November at the DoubleTree Ku’Damm in Berlin. Organisers say the programme will focus on the most pressing issues facing licensed operators, including the ongoing evaluation of the Interstate Treaty on Gambling 2021, competition from unlicensed websites and the potential introduction of new gambling products.
The conference will be divided into six main discussion blocks and bring together regulators, operators, trade groups, legal specialists and other industry executives. Confirmed participants include Tipwin CEO Dr Damir Boehm and representatives from Germany’s gambling regulator, the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL). The official event programme also lists DSWV President Mathias Dahms and other senior gambling-sector figures.
A major theme will be Germany’s review of the GlüStV 2021 framework, which created the current nationwide system for regulating cross-state online gambling. The treaty legalised and established licensing structures for products including sports betting, virtual slots and online poker while introducing extensive player-protection and compliance requirements. A comprehensive evaluation of the framework is taking place during 2026.
The effectiveness of those rules in directing players toward licensed operators is expected to feature prominently. Germany’s black market and channelisation rate have remained major areas of debate, with operators and policymakers assessing whether the regulated offering is competitive enough to discourage consumers from using offshore platforms.
Recent GGL figures underline the scale of the licensed online market. Operators under the regulator’s cross-state supervision recorded €3.22bn in online stakes during the first quarter of 2026 and €3.11bn in the second quarter. Sports betting remained the largest segment, followed by virtual slot games and online poker.
Germany has also adjusted some restrictions during 2026. Since 1 July, licensed virtual-slot operators can under specific conditions offer stakes above the standard €1 ceiling, with increases available in stages up to €5. Additional age, monitoring and qualification requirements apply, and the arrangement is currently limited until the end of 2027.
Prediction markets will provide another discussion point at the Berlin event. The GGL clarified in August that betting on political, economic and other societal events does not fall within the categories eligible for a German gambling licence, making such products unavailable legally to customers in Germany under the existing framework.
Developments outside Germany will also feature, particularly changes in neighbouring Austria and the opportunities that regulatory reform there could create for businesses already operating across German-speaking markets.
With Germany’s treaty review approaching a potentially important stage, the November conference is positioned as a forum for the industry and regulators to assess whether the current system is delivering effective player protection while also maintaining a sufficiently attractive legal market.