Germany 18+ Casinos
Germany leaves the casino age to each of its 16 states (Länder), and all but two set it at 18. Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg admit only players 21 and over to their land-based casinos, while everywhere else 18-year-olds can play casino table games and slots, buy lottery tickets, and bet on sports and horse racing.
Online is less clear-cut. The 2008 Interstate Treaty on Gambling (Glücksspielstaatsvertrag) banned domestic online gambling apart from sports betting and horse racing run by state-owned businesses, and hosting a German online casino is illegal. Some read the law as covering the bettor too, but authorities have not enforced it that way, and EU free trade rules let licensed offshore operators serve German players 18 and over.
Gambling Ages Across Germany's 16 States:
- Age 18: card and table games, slots, lotteries, sports betting, horse racing and offshore online casinos.
- Age 21: land-based casinos in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
- Before reunification, West Germany had casinos and sports betting, while East Germany allowed only lotteries and horse betting.
- Land-based options include Spielbank Berlin, Spielbank Wiesbaden and Casino Bremen.
Best Germany 18 and Up Online Casinos For 2026
Germans who are at least eighteen years of age and older can legally enjoy domestic land-based casinos. These players can also participate on licensed offshore online 18+ German casinos.
Below our team has provided a list of recommended brands that offer online casino gambling games and services after they reviewed their legitimacy, security, reliability, and selection.
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Site Name |
Rating |
Bonus Offer |
DE |
Ages |
PLAY NOW |
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1
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★★★★★★ |
400% Max €500 |
✓ |
18+ |
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2
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★★★★★★ |
300 Free Spins |
✓ |
18+ |
When Did Germany Legalize Gambling?
Gambling in Germany ceased after WWII, where a new constitution was made providing a new structure to Germany – creating individual states (16 Länder). During the divide between East and West Germany, gambling forms varied by region. West Germany provided lotteries, sports betting, pari-mutuel wagering on horses, and casinos; East Germany only offered lotteries and pari-mutuel wagering.
However, after the Reunification of Germany in the 1990s, casino gambling spread. In 2008, the Interstate Treaty on Gambling (ISTG), also known as the Glücksspielstaatsvertrag (GlüStV), was passed, banning all forms of domestic online gambling other than sports betting and horse racing offered by state-owned businesses.
How Is The Minimum Gambling Age Determined In Germany?
The minimum gambling age for casinos is between 18 and 21 but is mostly consistent at eighteen. However, regions or states in Germany are permitted to set their own minimum gambling age.
These minimum age restrictions are not based on the country’s drinking age like most other countries, rather on what the individual venue or state believes is an appropriate age to engage in these forms of gaming.
What Forms of Gambling Are Legal and Available In Germany?
Germany permits card games and table games, sports betting, pari-mutuel wagering on horses, lotteries, casinos, slots within casinos or in slot salons, domestic online lotteries and online wagering, and licensed offshore online 18 and up casino gambling.
Age 18: Card Games, Licensed Offshore Online Gambling, Lotteries, Online Lotteries, Online Wagering, Pari-mutuel Wagering on Horses, Slots, Sports Betting, Table Games
Age 21: Casinos in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria
Popular German Casinos
Below is a brief list of some land-based German casinos:
- Casino Petersbogen
- Spielbank Saarbrucken der Saarland Spielbank
- Spielbank Wiesbaden
- Casino Bad Steban
- Casino Duisburg
- Casino Bremen
- Spielbank Berlin
Are 18 and up Online Casinos for Players in Germany Legal?
Germany has made it illegal to host any Deutsch-based online gambling sites, however, the laws are unclear or at least not directly prohibitive on licensed offshore online gambling. Some interpretations say German law could classify the act of betting online as illegal, but Deutsch authorities have not enforced the law like this.
Thankfully, due to free trade laws in the EU, licensed offshore businesses can legally offer German players real money gambling services for casino and poker as long as the players are above 18 years old.