Gluecksspiel (GGL), the Federal Authority of German Gambling, will start its chairmanship under Reiner Moser on 1 July 2024.
Reiner Moser, a Minister of the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, will replace Udo Götze as Chairman of the GGL. He will oversee the agency’s progress on regulatory affairs, reporting to the Bundestag – Germany’s Federal Parliament.
The GGL board consists of department heads or state secretaries representing Germany’s 16 federal states (Bundesländer), focusing on regulatory developments related to Germany’s Fourth Interstate Gambling Treaty (GlüNeuRStv).
The board’s statute requires a new chairman to be elected each year by 1 July, representing a different Bundesland.
The GlüNeuRStv regime came into effect on 1 July 2021, launching Germany’s new federal framework for regulating online sportsbooks, poker, and casino games. This was followed by the establishment of the GGL on 1 January 2023, which took control of the GlüNeuRStv as the Federal Authority of German Gambling.
Udo Götze, a state secretary from the Bundesland of Thuringia, served as the inaugural Chairman of the GGL. Moser will succeed Götze and will lead the GGL alongside joint Chief Executives Ronald Benter and Benjamin Schwanke.
The GGL successfully launched the Interstate market, transforming the illegal gambling market into a legal and state-controlled one. They also achieved success in combating illegal online gambling.
However, the authority’s figures are disputed by German gambling trade bodies Deutscher Casinoverband (DOCV) and Deutscher Sportwettenverband (DSWV), who claim that the Interstate market now has a 50% exposure to the black market targeting German consumers.
Götze leaves the GGL stating, “Together with the states, the GGL has created a strong foundation for successfully regulating this rapidly developing digital market. Everyone involved can be proud.”
Despite concerns about black market encroachment, the GGL insists it has no mandate from the Bundesländer to review the GlüNeuRStv laws.
The Authority plans to review advertising laws and protections for the Interstate market by 2025 and 2026.
The German gambling, media, and sports sectors await the ‘advertising evaluation report’ from independent agency Eye Square GmbH, which is coordinating research from Germany’s 16 federal states.
As the new Chairman of the GGL, Moser commented, “Regulating online gambling is a demanding task focused on preventing gambling addiction and protecting players and young people.
There are immense challenges to overcome, including implementing court decisions on IP blocking and supervising legal providers. I am confident the GGL will tackle these challenges successfully, with continued support from the states and the Board of Directors.”