That left the German market in limbo, attracted international operators, and drew consumers to a black market.
The ISTG was originally established in 2012 in response to the growing popularity of online gambling, but failed to get all states on board and thus neither banned nor legalized it. That year saw the new German Interstate Treaty on Gambling (ISTG) or Glücksspielstaatsvertrag ( GlüStV 2021) come into effect, which legalizes and regulates online gambling in Germany across all 16 states. Gambling has been a hotly contested topic for many years in Germany, which begs the question: Is online gambling regulated in Germany? Yes, it is indeed as of July 2021.
