Poker in Germany: legal online rooms, casinos & tournaments
Germany regulated online poker in 2021. Under the Glücksspielstaatsvertrag, operators need a licence from the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) in Halle, and only licensed rooms may accept German players. Our partner GGPoker runs GGPoker.de under such a licence — the German-licensed version of the largest online poker room in the world.
The licence comes with rules you will notice: a €1,000 monthly deposit limit across all licensed operators by default, a mandatory five-minute pause when switching between games, and no cash games above the limits the GGL sets. In exchange you get a legal, tax-compliant room whose payouts are enforceable under German law.
Live poker is played in the state-concession casinos (Spielbanken) — Berlin, Hamburg, Dortmund, Wiesbaden, Bad Wiessee and others — plus the King's Resort just across the Czech border in Rozvadov, which draws most of the German tournament crowd.
Play online from Germany
GGPoker
Home of the WSOP Online, GGPoker runs the biggest guaranteed tournaments and the busiest cash games online. Locally licensed skins (GGPoker.uk, GGPoker.de, GGPoker.nl, GGPoker.ca in Ontario) serve regulated markets.
Play at GGPoker →Is online poker legal in Germany?
Upcoming tournaments in Germany
All tournaments| Dates | Event | Venue | Buy-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Sept – 27 Dec 2026 | Sunday Monster Stack – Casino Schenefeld (weekly) | Casino Schenefeld | €220 |
| 18 Oct 2026 | Deep Stack Sunday – Spielbank Wiesbaden (October 2026) | Spielbank Wiesbaden | — |
| 23 – 25 Oct 2026 | 11. Spielbanken Bayern Pokermeisterschaft – Finale 2026 | Spielbank Feuchtwangen | €1,000 |
Poker rooms & casinos in Germany
All venuesTop players from Germany
All players| # | Player | Hometown | Live earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fedor Holz | Saarbrücken | $50,681,510 |
| 2 | Christoph Vogelsang | Sassenberg | $47,091,847 |
| 3 | Rainer Kempe | Berlin | $23,534,768 |
| 4 | Koray Aldemir | Berlin | $23,271,015 |
| 5 | Ole Schemion | Berlin | $22,250,266 |
| 6 | Dominik Nitsche | Minden | $21,680,167 |
| 7 | Steffen Sontheimer | — | $13,739,393 |
| 8 | Leon Sturm | — | $13,699,137 |
| 9 | Manig Loeser | Bad Homburg | $12,249,674 |
| 10 | Christopher Nam Nguyen | — | $11,926,687 |
What the German licence means in practice
The €1,000 cross-operator deposit limit is the rule most players run into. It can be raised to €10,000 on request with proof of income, and to €30,000 in narrow cases. Deposits count across every licensed operator, tracked centrally by the LUGAS system.
German players pay no income tax on poker winnings as long as playing is not their profession; professional players are treated differently. Withdrawals from a licensed room go back to the payment method you deposited with.
Live poker in Germany
Poker in Germany is legal only in licensed Spielbanken, and the offer varies by state. Berlin's Spielbank at Potsdamer Platz, the Casino Schenefeld outside Hamburg, Dortmund's Hohensyburg and the Bavarian Spielbanken in Bad Wiessee and Garmisch run regular tournaments. For festivals, most Germans drive to Rozvadov: the King's Resort hosts the WSOP Europe and dozens of series a year.
Frequently asked questions
Ist Online-Poker in Deutschland legal?
Ja — bei Anbietern mit einer Lizenz der Gemeinsamen Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL). GGPoker.de ist ein solcher lizenzierter Anbieter. Spiel bei nicht lizenzierten Anbietern ist für Spieler eine Ordnungswidrigkeit und Gewinne dort sind nicht einklagbar.
Why is there a €1,000 deposit limit?
It is written into the Glücksspielstaatsvertrag 2021 and applies across all licensed operators combined. It can be raised on application with proof of income.
Are poker winnings taxable in Germany?
Not for recreational players. Someone who plays professionally and systematically may be treated as running a business by the tax office. When in doubt, ask a Steuerberater.