German gambling watchdog unfazed as top court curtails IP blockage
Germany’s Federal Administrative Court has ruled that national gambling legislation does not grant authorities the power to order internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to gambling websites. The decision confirms a previous ruling made by the Higher Administrative Court of Koblenz.
At the centre of the case is the 2021 Interstate Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV 2021), which was introduced to create a unified legal framework for online gambling across Germany’s 16 federal states. The court found that Article 9(1) of the treaty does not provide a legal basis for issuing blocking orders to ISPs.
This ruling represents a setback for the country’s gambling regulator, the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), which has been stepping up efforts to crack down on unlicensed online gambling platforms. However, the GGL stated that the court’s decision will not disrupt its current enforcement strategy.
Authorities press ISPs to respond
Instead of targeting internet providers, the GGL has shifted focus to hosting providers, which operate the servers that house gambling websites. Although this approach is more complex and resource-heavy, it has enabled the regulator to block access to over 930 illegal domains.
An average of 60 new domains are blacklisted every month, according to GGL’s own statistics, and attempts are made to track down operators who switch hosting providers in order to evade detection. The organisation is also advocating for changes to the law that would enable it to block ads that promote unlawful gambling, claiming that these kinds of tools are essential for efficient enforcement.
Germany’s regulated gambling sector has voiced growing concerns about the continued strength of the black market, which threatens the sustainability of legal operators. Unlicensed sites often avoid regulatory oversight, player protection requirements, and tax obligations, giving them a competitive edge.
Industry charts new path
An authorised sports betting company in Germany, Tipico, recently introduced a Trusted Partner Program in response to these worries. The goal of the initiative is to make sure that game developers who collaborate with Tipico aren’t also providing unlicensed operators with services.
The company has said it will carry out thorough checks to verify that games made available in the German market are distributed solely through regulated platforms. Several well-known game developers—including Apparat, Games Global, Greentube, Hölle Games, MERKUR, 바카라’n GO, SYNOT and ZEAL—have already joined the scheme.
The move is being seen as a proactive step by the industry to support Germany’s regulated gambling framework, even as enforcement agencies continue to push for stronger legal tools to address the challenges of illegal online gambling.
