Across the globe, the definition of an online casino takes varied forms. This week, the German authorities have attempted to make concrete guidelines on what constitutes an online casino game, and where the boundaries lie.
On the surface, it would seem like a fairly straightforward term to define. An online casino must provide digital casino games using cash prizes, right? Not exactly. Across the globe, the term has been hard to define, as new models and mechanics shape the future of online gambling. This week in Germany, clarification was given on what an online casino game in that country actually is.
Slots and Table Games
The Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) is the main gambling authority in Germany. This week, it posted a detailed section on its website giving clarification about what the German view of an online casino is. Bringing legal definitions, it makes a specific distinction between online casino games and slots. This is a trend that seems to be emerging not just in Germany but further afield.
Splitting these two, online casino games are defined as “virtual replicas of banker games and live broadcasts of a terrestrial banker game with the option to participate via the internet.” This puts them clearly as table games that can be found in a casino, such as baccarat, craps, roulette and others where you play against a banker. Each state in the country can offer licenses for these with a permit.
The term live broadcasts specifically refers to the subgenre of live online casino games. These are modern titles where a physical dealer streams the action from a studio. People can then place wagers based on their dealing of the cards and the spinning of roulette wheels. These have become extremely popular alongside other games, as they offer a level of interaction missing from other titles.
Websites containing these games will also contain online slot games. In German law, they are now classed as a different legal entity. These are digital representations of the machines found in hospitality areas like pubs. The GGL manages all licensing for these.
The regulator also provided a list of online casinos operating in the country. This included their physical locations and dates for the issuance of their licenses.
State-by-State Gambling Laws
By clarifying the definitions of slot games and tabletop games, the GGL is making clear boundaries when it comes to laws. Yet even this does not cover the real complexities of online gaming and casinos. While online slots and table games are a big part of the sector, there are now more varied options that do not seem to fall under either category.
Crash gaming is a perfect example. This is a title that has purely been born from online casinos and spawned a whole genre. It appears with the title Aviator and involves predicting the path of an onscreen aircraft. This is determined by a random number generator. The longer it stays in flight and people stay in, the more they win. Yet if they don’t cash out before it crashes out, they lose. Titles like this are neither table games nor slots.
Other titles include live gameshow titles. While they tend to get lumped in with slots, they rarely have a reel element. They are often based on a chance element, such as a wheel spin. This can then let people win prizes and in some cases, give them access to a bonus round. Once here, the live element begins and they become stars in their own gameshow. However, it does not look to address these either.
India Struggles to Define Games of Chance
Germany is not the only country struggling to define the concept of gambling. In India, a legal battle rages that is primarily focused on if games of skill count as gambling, and what the definition of a skill game is. According to the government, any form of betting on the outcome of an event is gambling. This means that the relevant Goods and Service Tax is applied to it, which currently stands at 28%.
There are those arguing that this should only be applied to games of chance, and titles like Rummy, extremely popular in the country, should be taxed at the lower rate of 18%. Other games to be taxed like this may also include chess.
This also applies to Germany when it comes to poker. It has elements of both skill and chance. There are already states in the US where this is being separated from table games and slots. This has helped the forging of cross-border alliances such as the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement.
Like many European countries, Germany is still in the process of revisiting and revising its online gambling laws. As a fairly new entertainment sector, this is bound to be an ongoing process. It is hoped that in the next few years, these changes will be introduced making clarification for operators and consumers.
Shift Frequency © 2025 – German Authorities Clarify the
Definition of Online Casino Games