Germany Bans Gambling Ads by Online Streamers

On July 17th, the German regulator Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) announced that even licensed gambling providers are now banned from regularly advertising through streamers, adding this rule to its player protection guidelines. This follows a decision on July 11th by Germany’s Higher Administrative Court, which upheld the ban on streamers outside Germany from promoting illegal German gambling sites. 

The motivation behind this move is concern about the potential influence of this advertising on minors, who are essentially the primary audience for streams. The GGL stated that slot streams show gambling "on an emotional level," making it seem like an everyday activity. They argued that streaming poses the highest risk to minors compared to any other form of gambling.

The Rise of Live Streamers: A New Digital Age

The era of live streams is here and shows no signs of stopping. In Germany, slots streamers have garnered a substantial audience, significantly impacting the online entertainment landscape. The top slots streamer in the country boasts an impressive 261,000 followers, while the second highest followed streamer achieved over 156 million views in August alone on the popular Twitch platform. 

Live streaming offers numerous advantages for streamers. They can build a reputation as experts in their field, secure lucrative deals with online casinos, and earn a significant income doing what they love. Streaming is one of the most popular ways to introduce and learn about new games and has the potential to dominate the scene in the long term.

This immense popularity, however, raises concerns about its influence on young children. With such vast reach and appeal, these streamers can inadvertently promote gambling behaviors among impressionable viewers, potentially normalising risky financial habits and fostering an unhealthy fascination with gambling. 

The Impact on Minors

The prevalence of severe gambling disorders among young people aged 18-25 in Germany has tripled between 2021 and 2023, from 0.7% to 2.1%.

Researchers at the University of Bremen and the ISD Hamburg conducted a gambling survey in 2023. A primary goal of the survey was to assess the prevalence of gambling and gambling-related issues within the general German population.

The survey revealed that approximately 6.9% of the overall population (10.3% of men and 3.5% of women) have engaged in "risky" forms of gambling, which include slot and casino games, sports betting, and keno.
Including less risky games like lotteries, about 36.6% of survey respondents reported having gambled in the past 12 months.

The survey highlighted a significant concern: the rising prevalence of gambling disorders among young people aged 18-25. In a previous study conducted in 2021, the prevalence in this age group was 3.7%. However, the 2023 study showed an increase to 4.9%.

This trend was also observed in other age groups. While the overall rate of gambling disorders among individuals aged 26-35 decreased from 4.2% to 3.7% between the two surveys, the prevalence of severe disorders in this group increased from 0.8% to 1.2%.