Germany Licenses Online Slots, Offering Huge International Opportunity
Not just American players are having a blast at online casinos! We already know that there are casinos in many nations, and that people who enjoy the activity come from almost every nation. More and more nations are now joining the fray; in May, Germany granted a license to the first online slots operator to enter the market. Germany welcomed its first entry into the online gaming market only a few months ago, well after the Fourth Interstate Gambling Treaty came into effect.
There is a caveat, though: the license only applies to slot machines. Other games, like poker, aren’t quite on the table yet, but they undoubtedly will be. It’s also not entirely unexpected. One of the most played games online is the slot machine, which draws both novice and expert players. This entry into the German online gaming market could be seen as a “dipping the toe” into the realm of online casinos, providing a pathway for additional businesses to join.
Opening the market to online casino games in Germany is a smart move because interest from players will undoubtedly soar as their popularity continues to soar. Every new domestic game comes with the guarantee that the website complies with German standards, which is a great way to develop the German online gaming community. This attracts new participants and makes seasoned participants feel more comfortable.
The license is registered to Mernov Betriebsgesellschaft MbH, a division of the gaming company Gaussman Group, according to the State Administration Office. Mernov Betriebsgesellschaft MbH was initially registered in June 2020. A half-hour outside of Hanover in Epselkamp, Germany, is where the company is headquartered.
The development, distribution, and operation of software systems for the execution of authorized games based on online technology, as well as all associated and corporate-promoting transactions, are listed as the entity’s corporate purposes by Northdata. As Germany is known for its strict regulations and the costs associated with hosting online games, Mernov represents quite the development.
Mernov has already started work on expansion and release to its diverse brands, including JackpotPiraten and Bingbong. It’s interesting to note that the license doesn’t consider the slots operator a “online casino”—it’s only an online game.
Online slots are authorized by the ministry of the interior.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) informed the regional media in March that a first licensee had been selected. However, up until May, no one knew which lucky business had received the license. The Mernov website still lists the launch as June 2022, apparently not yet updated for July. The Mernov website promotes “serious gambling entertainment at the highest level” as well as “premium brands for a unique online gaming experience.” In a promotional picture, the well-known Merkur game Eye of Horus is shown and described as one of the “favorite games of top Manufacturers.” Mernov is headquartered in Epselkamp, but the majority of their team works out of their office in central Berlin. The website highlights their work, “Online Games of Chance for the Whole of Germany,” emphasizing the legality and standards of the games. The Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörder der Länder (GGL), which roughly translates to the Joint Gaming Authority and is concerned with players’ safety and satisfaction, is a notoriously strict regulatory body that German gaming providers must adhere to in addition to the requirements of the Ministry of the Interior. On the surface, this seems like a fantastic feature of the German gaming scene, but it has the drawback of making it harder for German businesses to get approved.
Making History in Online Gaming
The 19th Symposium on Gambling was held at the University of Hohenheim in March of 2022. A board member for the German Joint Gaming Authority (GGL), Ronald Benter, provided an update. The GGL intended to begin challenging the prohibitions on online gambling in July, which is currently. The case is most likely to be filed in late 2022, which will allow for the issuance of the first online gambling licenses in January 2023. However, they will have to go through a ton of intricate bureaucratic process. It already has promise because more businesses are joining the online slots trend. Another German online game developer, Apparat Gaming, recently expanded their selection of games by including a new slots game. The fact that the bonus free spin rounds can be repeated when scatters appear during the bonus spins adds to the game’s overall cool factor. Players are able to play longer and win more as a result.
Germany’s Online Gambling Market in the Future
When German businesses are able to obtain legitimate online gambling licenses, allowing for more than just slots and welcoming players to a variety of gaming options, they will have to deal with some additional problems. Due to some of its overly stringent online sports betting laws, the German state of Hesse, which includes Frankfurt, Germany, is already being sued. Operators are also worried about how restrictive other gaming laws are. They must definitely address some issues, ranging from the excessive tax obligations to the stake limits of one euro (or, as of July 2022, about one dollar in US currency). Concerningly, legitimate platforms are currently discouraged by the excessively strict standards. This inevitably results in players using illicit gaming services. Black market gaming options do not provide secure data protection or common regulatory measures, which is hazardous for both businesses and players. What you get is always a mystery. Because of this, you should always play with a trustworthy group and pay attention to GCash casino warnings.
Your thoughts?
Would you be interested in trying out a brand-new German slot machine? Do you believe that American and Canadian options may be impacted by—or even displaced by—these new websites? One thing is certain: this newest entry into the online gaming market will definitely be something we check out.
