In recent years, eSports in Germany have not only become better known, but also more popular. As a result, bets on such events became possible over time. But what is the current legal situation regarding eSports betting in Germany?
By Nadja Jerzenbeck
Fortnite, League of Legends, Counter Strike and many other games have triggered a hype in the field of eSports in recent years. Fortnite in particular lured numerous young people and adults in front of the screens and literally captivated them. Other games, such as the current FIFA part, increased the urge to play even more.
This trend continues, and not only in Germany. The number of viewers of eSports has increased significantly worldwide since 2019. While according to one Poll by Statista In 2019 there were still 397.8 million viewers in total, in 2021 this figure was already an impressive 489.5 million. The forecasts for the next few years also continue to look positive and suggest further inflows.
Given these developments, it didn’t take long for the first betting providers to start offering eSports bets. Finally, a new, exciting market opened up with an enormous number of viewers worldwide and it gave customers the opportunity to put their own expert knowledge to the test in eSports too.
E-sports by definition not a sport
As a result, eSports betting was also able to establish itself in Germany, at least until the start of the German betting license in 2021. Since then, betting on eSports has no longer been possible in Germany, but this has nothing to do with a general ban or possibly lower interest on the part of customers has to do.
The simple reason is that eSports have still not been defined as a sport. The DOSB has so far rejected this. But since the introduction of the German sports betting license, only bets on sports are allowed. Accordingly, no bets can be placed on eSports for the time being and betting providers are not allowed to offer them. Whether that changes in the future depends solely on the definition of eSports.
Until then, only bets can be placed on recognized sports. For this stand in Germany numerous bookmakers with a valid license available and can be used completely legally. Time will tell whether and how quickly eSports bets can return to the repertoire of betting providers.
2023-07-02 20:28:06
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