Glücksspielbehörde (GGL), the Federal Authority of German Gambling, has initiated a new coordination strategy with state authorities to combat gambling addiction.
Last week, GGL Chairman Ronald Benter met with Konrad Landgraf, Managing Director of the State Office for Gambling Addiction in Bavaria (LSG), to begin coordination meetings.
Benter plans to speak with individual state authorities to improve cooperation and exchange ideas on strengthening the laws of the Fourth Interstate Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV) to combat gambling addiction.
The GGL aims to “better understand the challenges state coordination offices face and develop joint approaches for intensified cooperation” through these individual meetings.
The leadership of the GGL identified coordination challenges during its first meeting of interstate authorities in Halle in January 2023, shortly after the Saxony-Anhalt agency took on the role of Federal Authority for German Gambling.
Benter stated, “It is crucial for us to hear the perspectives of all relevant interest groups and to get a comprehensive picture of the situation. Player protection and raising public awareness are high priorities for us. Through thematic exchange with the state coordination offices, we are further expanding our expertise.”
The GGL has prioritized feedback from state offices focused on healthcare and public welfare, which provide prevention and counselling for gambling addiction. These offices are key stakeholders in the reform of GlüStV.
GGL has scheduled further meetings, including a visit by Benter to the North Rhine-Westphalia State Office for Gambling Addiction in October 2024, and a joint meeting of all state office representatives at the GGL in autumn.
In 2026, the GGL will present its ‘comprehensive evaluation’ of German gambling to the Bundestag. This study will detail how German gambling has changed since the introduction of the GlüStV laws in 2021.
The evaluation will include the GGL’s recommendations on new federal protections related to gambling advertisements, which require authorisation from the Bundestag.
On the issue of problem gambling, the GGL supported research by the Institute of Public Health at the University of Bremen. Their 2023 study showed a steady 2.4% rate of gambling disorders among 18-to-70-year-olds since 2021.
However, independent observers have directly criticized the GGL-commissioned studies. They argue that the GGL has supported estimates from gambling studies that fail to consider the high exposure of German consumers to black-market gambling activities, with unlicensed websites reportedly targeting up to 50% of national consumers.
https://lotterydaily.com/2024/09/03/region/europe/ggl-begins-new-coordination-strategy-on-problem-gambling/