Legal Online Poker in Germany (2026)
Online poker in Germany is legal only with operators on the GGL whitelist. Every licensed poker room, the €1,000 deposit limit, the 4-table cap and the tax that shapes the games.
Verified 9 September 2026- Legal since
- 1 July 2021
- Minimum age
- 18
- Player pool
- International, under German conditions
- Deposit limit
- €1,000 per month across all operators (LUGAS)
- Tax on winnings
- 5.3% on stakes, paid by the operator
Licensed online poker rooms in Germany
01GGPoker GGL licensed
- No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, Short Deck, Rush & Cash
- On the GGL whitelist since 25 November 2022
- LUGAS deposit limit and 4-table cap apply
02PokerStars GGL licensed
- No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, Stud & mixed games, Spin & Go
- On the GGL whitelist since 22 March 2023
- Largest German-only pool
03888poker GGL licensed
- No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, BLAST, SNAP fast-fold
- On the GGL whitelist since 24 January 2023
04partypoker GGL licensed
- No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, fastforward
- On the GGL whitelist since 10 November 2022
05bwin GGL licensed
- No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha
- On the GGL whitelist since 14 November 2022
18+ · T&Cs apply
How licensing works
The 2021 State Treaty on Gambling created one federal regulator, the GGL in Halle, and a public whitelist of every operator allowed to accept German players. Poker is its own product category on the list: a brand can hold a slots or sports-betting permission and still be barred from poker. Only the domains on the whitelist are legal, so the .de version of a site is licensed while the .com version is not.
The GGL whitelist is the only authoritative source. If a poker room is not on it, playing there is illegal for the operator and leaves you without the protections licensing provides.
Rules that shape the games
- €1,000 per month in deposits across every licensed operator combined, enforced through the LUGAS central file. Higher limits are possible for verified high-income players at some operators.
- Four tables maximum at once. Parallel play across operators is blocked.
- 5.3% tax on stakes, which the operator pays but recovers through higher rake, lower rakeback or smaller guarantees.
- OASIS self-exclusion is checked at every login. Exclusion applies to all licensed gambling in Germany.
Rooms that left or never came
Winamax and Unibet never applied for a German poker permission. Most iPoker skins serve Germany only through casino or betting licences without poker. In 2026 PokerStars cut affiliate marketing in most of Europe, and GGPoker responded with a rakeback push, so the German pool is now effectively a two-brand market with 888poker, partypoker and bwin behind.
Frequently asked questions
Is online poker legal in Germany?
Yes, since 1 July 2021 under the State Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV 2021), but only with operators holding a separate online-poker permission from the GGL. Only the exact domain listed on the whitelist is legal.
Why is the German player pool smaller than elsewhere?
Licensed rooms pool German players with their international sites, but the rules are different: a €1,000 monthly deposit cap across all operators, a maximum of four tables at once, and a 5.3% tax on stakes that operators pass on through rake and rewards.
Are poker winnings taxed in Germany?
Recreational players pay no income tax on winnings. Players the tax office classes as professional can be assessed differently.
Which rooms are missing from the list?
Winamax, Unibet and most iPoker skins have no German poker permission, and PokerStars has scaled back its German marketing. If a room is not on the GGL whitelist it is not legal to offer poker to German players.