Gambling and Problem Gambling in Germany: Data from the Gambling Survey 2025 and the OASIS Player Exclusion System

Session Title

Regulation: Legal Frameworks & Oversight

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation

Start Date

27-5-2026 12:00 AM

Abstract

With the enactment of the new State Treaty on Gambling on July 1, 2021, the availability of legal gambling in Germany has increased significantly. In addition to the existing licenses for land-based casinos, gambling halls with German-style slot machines, and lotteries, a comprehensive legalization of sports betting was implemented, together with the granting of licenses to operators of virtual slot machines, online poker, and casinos. At the same time, the State Treaty introduced a central exclusion system (OASIS) for all forms of gambling, which includes both self-exclusion and third-party exclusion by relatives and gambling operators. Gambling operators are legally obliged to exclude players who may be at risk of gambling addiction. The presentation will include data from the Gambling Survey 2025 on gambling participation among the population and proportion of problem gamblers, and data on self- and third-party exclusions by type of gambling from the OASIS exclusion system.

Author Bios

Gerhard Meyer is an Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Bremen, Germany. He was involved in several research projects on problem gambling, e.g. problem gambling and delinquency, neuroendocrine response to casino gambling, self- and third-party exclusion, development of an assessment tool to evaluate the risk potential of different gambling types.

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May 27th, 12:00 AM

Gambling and Problem Gambling in Germany: Data from the Gambling Survey 2025 and the OASIS Player Exclusion System

With the enactment of the new State Treaty on Gambling on July 1, 2021, the availability of legal gambling in Germany has increased significantly. In addition to the existing licenses for land-based casinos, gambling halls with German-style slot machines, and lotteries, a comprehensive legalization of sports betting was implemented, together with the granting of licenses to operators of virtual slot machines, online poker, and casinos. At the same time, the State Treaty introduced a central exclusion system (OASIS) for all forms of gambling, which includes both self-exclusion and third-party exclusion by relatives and gambling operators. Gambling operators are legally obliged to exclude players who may be at risk of gambling addiction. The presentation will include data from the Gambling Survey 2025 on gambling participation among the population and proportion of problem gamblers, and data on self- and third-party exclusions by type of gambling from the OASIS exclusion system.