Complying with Germany’s intricate slot controls

For the fifth market analysis in the Slot Trumps series we’re focusing on a market that took decades to regulate and is yet to fulfil its true potential.

Germany’s legislative journey started with an online ban in 2008. Fast forward 13 years and the 2021 Interstate Treaty on Gambling created a comprehensive online betting and gaming market, while the establishment of the Joint Gambling Authority (GGL) in 2023 marked yet another milestone.

But by setting online slots apart from other casino games, regulations pose a unique challenge for licensees in Europe.

Today, despite improvements in conditions for both players and the industry, regulatory requirements continue to shape player behaviour, as our findings show.

But the data from the Slot Trumps Germany report offers some guidance as to how operators can keep players safe – and engaged – in this intricate market.

Compliance is king

Understanding and complying with regulatory issues is crucial in markets such as Germany, where players face restrictions on simultaneous game playing and spin delays on online slots.

Additionally, a monthly deposit cap of €1,000 applies universally, irrespective of income, along with a €1 maximum stake limit on slots.

Such regulatory issues mean operators must integrate solutions to offer players complete control over the gameplay window on both desktop and mobile.

Our CasinoEngine productivity platform, for example, offers the possibility to develop market-specific functionalities. We aim to ensure operators remain compliant at all times, even when regulation changes.

CasinoEngine’s UI communication framework features real-time notifications aligned with regulatory and safer gambling requirements. Brands can enhance the gameplay window with additional buttons such as quick deposit, cashier functions, gameplay information, gamification features and more.

This is complemented by precise, real-time reporting. Upon game launch, CasinoEngine enables operators to access wallet and detailed session data, including gambling notification intervals, session times, session information (stakes/winnings) and user details.

Slot Trumps: Localisation key for complex markets

In our experience, as the largest aggregator in the industry, localised content makes a huge difference in markets with intricate regulations.

Players gravitate not only towards games that resonate with their cultural preferences, but also towards specific game features that allow them to have more fun or access more gameplay.

In Germany the regulatory environment makes players gravitate towards specific games, due to the max bet cap which influences the average bet on slots. This leads to an average bet level of €0.52 per spin, approximately 50% less than the global average within our SlotMatrix network.

This can also be correlated with the game mechanics preferred by German players. Traditional features, such as in-game free spins, reign supreme with 85% of the top 20 games in the SlotMatrix network offering this option. When spins don’t count towards the limits imposed by regulation, they offer a way to keep players engaged for longer.

Showing German regulations’ impact

For one of the largest markets in Europe, regulations are pushing down average sessions per player across the top 20 slots. With 4.8 sessions per 90 days, Germany is 20% lower than Greece (6.2), another regulated European market in the Slot Trumps series that has gone through changes in recent years.

What’s more, German players place an average of 30% fewer bets per session (59) every 90 days than Greeks (73.8) and 50% fewer than Romanians (109) on the top 20 games in our findings.

To tackle such a complex environment, our content aggregation division, SlotMatrix, serves as a solution that allows brands to select the optimal games for each market by theme, game mechanics or vendors.

Supported by CasinoEngine and its flexibility and personalisation functionalities in terms of lobby management, operators can precisely target player segments, presenting them with games tailored to their preferences. The platform also allows for the continuous addition of new content and timely presentation of relevant titles.

Safer gambling mechanisms for Germany

A key element of Germany’s regulatory framework is its commitment to protecting players from harm. We prioritise the design and delivery of technologies, tools and products that align with regulatory and safer gambling requirements. And our commitment extends across all markets where we collaborate with more than 300 global customers.

We are proud to say that, following a rigorous audit process, we became the first iGaming supplier to receive World Lottery Association (WLA) Safer Gambling certification in Sept 2023.

Embedded within our environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policy is an enhanced Safer Gambling strategy. This strategy ensures that our 900+ employees spanning 13 global offices, alongside our clients, have access to the necessary tools and are fully informed about the latest research.

This comprehensive approach aims to enable responsible and ethical operations across our organisation and extends to our partners, offering reliable and responsible support in markets such as Germany.

Go to Slot Trumps Player Behaviour Report for a more detailed breakdown of German player and wagering behaviours.