Germany has a long history of sports betting and is one of the most attractive betting markets worldwide. With a gross gambling revenue (GGR) of around 14 billion EUR in 2018, it is the third biggest gambling market in Europe after Italy and the UK. There is a large variety of bookmakers that happily accept players from the country and provide thousands of pages, posts and games in the German language. However, there are a few aspects you should be aware of before starting your gambling adventure in Germany. This article covers the relevant legal constraints that apply to you as a value bettor, as well as a collection of handpicked bookmakers we recommend.

To learn more about our value betting software at Trademate Sports, click here.

THE LEGALITY OF SPORTS BETTING IN GERMANY

For decades, the state had a monopoly over sports betting. German bettors had to place their bets at Toto (Sportwette) and Oddset, which are state-owned sportsbooks. However, since the early 2000s, the German gambling laws have been in a state of flux.

The government and the 16 Bundesländer have struggled to agree on how to handle the laws of gambling, resulting in a somewhat unclear legal landscape, especially for the betting companies. For instance, between 2008 and 2012 online gambling was completely prohibited for German citizens.

Luckily, the legal situation has since been liberalised, and on the 1st of January, 2020, the situation fundamentally changed with the German sports betting market completely opened to international providers who hold a license.

Although there are still some legal uncertainties tied to the hosting of gambling sites in Germany, it is completely legal for Germans to place bets. Germans are not prosecuted for playing at either domestic or offshore sportsbooks.

BETTING TAXES IN GERMANY

In general, German sports bettors are required to pay a 5% tax on all bets they place. This tax is applicable to all residents of Germany and anyone placing a bet within Germany. This legislation was passed in 2012 as an attempt to deter people from gambling online.

Having 5% of the betting stake deducted is certainly a negative, but in order to keep their German customers some bookmakers have found ways to lower the burden; such as Tipico and Betfair, who have decided to absorb the tax themselves, thus allowing customers to bet normally. Other firms such as Interwetten have taken the approach to only tax winning bets, with the company covering the tax on losing bets.

As the tax obligation can be a real pain we’ve made a list of the best bookmakers to use in Germany in terms of both good bonuses and approaches to the tax issue.

BEST BOOKMAKERS TO USE

There are a couple of aspects we’re looking at when creating the list of recommended bookmakers.

First of all, the bookmakers need to accept German bettors. Secondly, they need to have a user-friendly attitude toward German bettors. For instance, they should offer banking methods frequently used in Germany and allow betting with the Euro currency.

In addition, they should provide great sign-up bonuses to enable you to boost your profits. They also need to be supported by Trademate so that you can use the software to find value bets.

And last but not least, the best bookmakers eliminate some or most of the tax burden for their customers. With that in mind, here’s a list of our handpicked bookies for German bettors!

Tipico

Tipico is a popular bookmaker in Germany, also acting as a sponsor of Bayern Munich. They belong to the group of bookmakers that pay gambling tax for their players.

They also offer some great sign-up bonuses. At the moment, new players can get a 100% welcome bonus up to €100.

In other words, they offer great conditions for earning some solid profits through value betting!

Betfair Sportsbook

Another bookmaker that has taken the tax burden upon themself is Betfair! It also operates as one of the world’s largest online betting exchanges with a large customer base and an impressive variety of offers. One of these is the sign-up bonus of 100% up to €100.

Bwin

Bwin is another sportsbook with links to Bayern Munich. In the past, Die Roten, and many other giants of European sports, have worn the bookies’ logo on their shirts. They’re also famous for their user-friendly attitude, earning them the reputation as a reliable sportsbook.

Another solid reason why German value bettors should sign up to this bookmaker is the great sign-up bonus they offer. At the moment, you get a 100% matched deposit bonus between €10 and €100. However, you do have to pay 5% tax on gross profit.

Interwetten

Founded in 1990 in Vienna, Austria, Interwetten is a bookmaker focused on the German market. Its website and app are available in German, they cover all the German sports, and the Euro is accepted.

However, the best thing about Interwetten is that they give away some really impressive bonuses. Apart from the 100% welcome bonus up to €100 with a 5x wagering requirement, they usually have a number of other good offers. For instance, there’s a €50 cashback offer available at the moment!

However, their players do need to pay a 5% tax on gross profit.

888sport

888sport is known around the world as a very responsible online sportsbook, as well as for giving out some really great bonus offers.

At the moment, German bettors can enjoy a 100% bonus up to €200! The turnover requirement is 6x on odds higher than 1.50.

Their players do, however, need to pay a 5% tax on gross profit.

Betway

Last but not least, we recommend using Betway, which is famous for being fair and user-friendly. In addition, they currently offer a great sign-up bonus! German players can enjoy a 100% welcome bonus up to €250 with a 6x wagering requirement at minimum odds of 1.75. Keep in mind that you need to pay a 5% tax on gross profit.

Others

There are more than 90 bookmakers Trademate works with and a lot of them accept German customers. In other words, by using our software you get access to value bets from a large amount of bookmakers.

BETTING AT ASIAN SPORTSBOOKS

There are no limitations on betting at sharp sportsbooks, as long as they accept German players. Luckily, most of them do. Among the most popular ones are SBOBET, which offers a German website, and 12bet.

To learn more about why you should use sharp bookmakers, click here.

CONCLUSION

The German gambling market is huge and continuously expanding, resulting in a lot of bookmakers opening up their services for German players. Some even offer to pay the gambling taxes imposed by the government!

Although the laws regarding the operation of bookmakers is still somewhat unclear, there are no laws prohibiting German players from betting on sports, both at domestic and international sportsbooks. All in all, with the dedication and the help of Trademate Sports, there is a good chance of becoming a very profitable value bettor in Germany!

Want to know how value occurs in sports betting?Click here!