Slotmagie and Merkur Granted German Slot License

Players in Germany are about to get some more slot action. Slotmagie and Merkur have become the fourth and fifth operators to receive a license to provide online slots in the country. This is since major changes were made to the country’s online gambling rules back in July 2021.

A Big Opportunity for Merkur and Slotmagie 

The licenses will allow both operators to provide online slots to players in the German markets. The Mill Adventure has been given a license to provide slots on its Slotmagie brand, whereas Merkur received licenses for 3 sites in the country - Xtip, Merkur Sports, and Merkur Spiel. 

Merkur is particularly enthusiastic about the announcement. Markus Ettlin, a spokesperson for the company said that they have been waiting to launch slots in the country for a while now and that they were waiting for the completion of a regulatory process. 

They stressed the importance of the license to the company. They stated this was a big step forward in them becoming a huge provider on the continent. They also said that they were excited to allow players the chance to take their favorite slots for a spin online. 

A New Era for German Regulation 

These licenses are the fourth and fifth handed out in Germany since it made major changes to its regulations last summer. The changes were met some with controversy by operators, with a 5.3% tax being met with disapproval from the industry. 

The new laws allowed operators to offer both online slots and poker games, with only sports betting being permitted before this. Table games can be provided, but they are offered to state lotteries. There was also a €1 limit placed on slot stakes. 

These strict regulations led to no licenses being handed out for nearly 12 months. This was because they were deemed too strict and seen as over-regulation. The Deutsche Sportwettenverband, the country’s industry body was very vocal in its criticisms of the rules. 

Five Operators Now Active 

Eventually, Merkov became the first to receive a slots license in the country. Since then, it has become Deutsche Gesellschaft für Glücksspiel and will operate under that name going forward. 

After this, Tipwin and Ruleo became the second and third operators to get licenses. It has been revealed that more operators are expected to receive licenses in the coming months. As of yet, no licenses have been handed out for online poker. 

Another important measure was taken in July when the Glücksspielbehörde was handed the reigns for giving out penalties to operators without a license. It has wasted no time in doing this, with a blocking order being handed out to Lottoland in July. This could be a sign of things to come, with the body taking over regulation of the industry in full in January 2023.