German Gambling Regulations Force Poker Sites Out Country

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If you play online poker in Germany, get ready for a bit of a culture shock. The German government has enacted new regulations that online poker rooms must follow to continue operating in the country. These restrictions are similar to steps taken by some US-facing online poker rooms, but not for the same reasons.

German Online Poker Sites Face New Regulations

For as far back as we can remember, online poker in Germany has been in a legal gray zone. The German government allowed most sites to operate and stayed out of the affairs of online poker rooms. This has now changed.

The German government has enacted a tolerance policy that forces online gambling sites to adhere to stricter guidelines. Online poker rooms had until October 15th to comply with these demands. Here are some of the changes that you will see at German-facing online poker rooms:

• Stronger Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements that require additional verification data from players.
• Players limited to four tables max
• Anonymous tables and seating a requirement
• Deposit limits of €1,000 per month
• Panic Button where players can enact a self-ban for 24 hours

Some of these changes are similar to what you see from some online poker sites in the United States and other sites like Bovada Poker. Those sites made the changes in the name of “protecting the poker ecosystem.” Germany is doing this more as a way to control online gambling within its borders.

Some Poker Rooms Have Left Germany

Several online poker sites have decided to pull out from Germany rather than comply with the new demands. Those sites include Betfair, Ladbrokes, and Redbet. Both Run It Once and PokerStars are temporarily leaving the country but are expected to come back once their software can comply with German demands.

New regulations in Germany have left its online poker market in a state of upheaval as sites rush to either comply or exit the market entirely. https://t.co/3SjHmeAllz pic.twitter.com/2CYrWbLwcq

— Card Player: The Poker Authority (@CardPlayerMedia) October 19, 2020

Other sites are making the changes necessary to continue offering online poker to German customers. GGPoker, Unibet, and 888poker are among the sites that are making the necessary changes. 888poker will launch a new client for German players on November 2nd.

It’s not surprising to see some of the top online poker sites take the steps to retain German customers. PokerStars and 888poker have always been at the forefront of the industry. GGPoker has quickly become a trusted site, especially after all of the positive press it received after hosting the 2020 World Series of Poker Online.

What This Means for Online Poker Players in Germany

These new changes from the German government will mean that fewer online poker sites will be available to German players. This is unfortunate as many top German poker players have already left the country due to exorbitantly high taxes on gambling winnings. Now, the players that want to stay in German will have fewer options to play online poker.

We know what some of you are thinking. Why not play online poker over a VPN? This is a big mistake. Almost all online poker sites prohibit the use of VPN by its players. PokerStars and many other sites have seized funds from players in the past that have violated its VPN guidelines. Gordon Vayo is the most prominent example of players who lost tons of money after getting caught using a VPN.

Instead, you have to make a tough decision. First, you can opt to continue playing online poker in Germany and opt to adhere to the guidelines established by the government. Your other option is to leave the country and play from a country with fewer restrictions. US players have regularly been forced to move to Canada or Mexico to continue playing online poker without restrictions. Now, Germans may have to make similar tough choices to continue playing the game they love.