Online casinos without a German license remain present and playable. Many players like these gambling sites because they operate without restrictions. It seems there are only advantages: more bonuses, higher payout rates and a larger game selection. But is that true, and is it safe? Learn everything about the regulation of international casinos.
Top list of online casinos without a German license
The selection of online casinos with international licenses is huge. For our recommendations we have thoroughly tested the gambling sites. Here are our results:
What is an online casino without a German license?
There are many different regulatory authorities that issue licenses to operate an online casino. Some of these apply only to a specific country, while others are usable internationally.
In July 2021 the new German Interstate Treaty on Gambling was introduced, which created the framework conditions for online gambling offerings in Germany. It brought some restrictions that online casinos licensed accordingly must implement.
At the same time, players can still play at casinos licensed in Malta, at Curacao casinos etc. These offer more freedoms and come with almost no restrictions.
Online casino without a license ≠ online casino without a German license
Even without the German GGL license most online providers are state-regulated, for example by the Maltese authority or by a Canadian regulator. The label "casino without a license" is therefore in most cases not precise.
Casinos with and without German regulation at a glance
Casinos with a German license
Casinos without a German license
Deposit limit
€1000 deposit limit/month
No fixed deposit limit
Bet limit
€1 limit per spin
No fixed limit, €20+ per spin possible
Game flow
5-second pause on spin
No fixed limit, €20+ per spin possible
Payout rate
RTP 87%–91%
RTP 93%–97%
Bonus
Welcome bonus up to €100, no regular reload bonus
Welcome packages up to over €1000, weekly reload bonus and cashback
Payment methods
5–8 payment methods
5–10 payment methods including crypto
Games
Only selected slots, no jackpots or table games, little variety. Around 1000 games
Slots, jackpots, live casino, Plinko, video poker, etc. Around 10,000 games
Responsible gaming
Voluntary limits & self-exclusion easily possible
No OASIS block, voluntary limits and blocks only adjustable at some casinos themselves
Account verification
Account must be verified immediately via video procedure
Document proof at first withdrawal is sufficient
Demand is rising: Search queries for online casinos without a German license
That internationally regulated providers are becoming increasingly popular is shown by user behavior. Here you can see an example overview of Google searches for the term 'online casino without a German license':
Thanks to the strict German requirements: Over the past years the search volume for online casinos without a German license has surged.
Safety: Online casinos without a license in the fraud test
With a German license many players assume that operators are automatically safe, reliable and 100% reputable. According to this assumption, online casinos without a German license are considered dubious and should be approached with caution and are wrongly regarded as unregulated providers.
What is important for casinos without a German license is the casino fraud test. This way you can ensure that you only play with reputable providers.
International gambling licenses
License
Description
Best casino
Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)
This EU casino license enjoys a good reputation due to its strict requirements. Transparency, fairness and player protection are highly valued.
Casino without DE license = Casino without LUGAS and OASIS
LUGAS is the cross-border gambling supervision system. All casinos licensed in Germany are represented there and must store information such as player blocks and limits.
The system is quite controversial for data protection reasons, which is why many players are looking for online casinos without LUGAS .
Casinos without a license from Germany are not connected to the LUGAS system.
In addition to casinos, arcades and betting providers, German online casinos are also connected to the central exclusion file OASIS.
I can have myself excluded.
But I can also be blocked by friends, relatives or the casino.
Online casinos with EU or international licenses are not affected by this exclusion. These are always casinos without OASIS.
Bonus comparison: with and without DE license
Also on the topic of casino bonus there are small and large differences.
Bonus amount and frequency
In online casinos under German regulation there are mainly offers for the welcome. Mostly these are deposit bonuses. The maximum bonus amount is €100, that is a fixed rule.
In casinos without a German license the bonuses are higher and more frequent.
The rare no-deposit casino bonus is also more common at casinos without a German license.
If you think that the conditions under the German flag are generally fairer, you are mistaken. In this respect, casinos are not given any specific requirements. Infinitely high wagering requirements? Are allowed! And Germany does not impose any limits on winnings either.
Of course you must also check with international providers whether a bonus is really fair and offers real added value. German and international online casinos are not very different in this respect.
Overview table of casino bonuses with and without German license
In casinos with GGL license
In casinos without a German license
High bonus amounts
❌No
✔️Yes
Wagering requirements under 60x bonus amount
✔️Almost always
➖Partially
Win limit from bonus
✔️Almost never
➖Partially
Weekly reload bonus for everyone
❌No
✔️Often
Bonus in online casinos without a German license
If you want to play without the GGL license, you don't have to do without bonus offers. In fact, the bonuses are even larger.
One main reason players choose foreign casinos is the game selection. After all, there are no restrictions there, so the selection is considerably more diverse.
Slot machines
The usually larger game collection, which includes well over 1,000 slot machines, comes with a small drawback. Titles known from local arcades are rarely offered in international casinos. Instead, we encounter big names such as:
NetEnt
Betsoft
Pragmatic Play
NoLimit City
Red Tiger
Certain games like Bonanza Megaways and Reactoonz are also more commonly available under international licenses.
(Big) jackpots
Progressive jackpots do not exist in German casinos. So if you want to play one of the following multi-million slots, you can only do so in international casinos without a German license:
You can only hit the Mega Moolah jackpot in casinos without a German license
Live dealer games
Table games are also only available in casinos without German regulation. Why roulette, blackjack and the other “big” casino games are banned is not exactly clear. The fact is: only without a GGL license may the operator offer live dealer games, such as:
Roulette
Blackjack
Poker (3 Card Poker, Caribbean Stud Poker, Casino Hold’em)
Baccarat (including the Dragon Tiger variant)
Dice games like Super Sic Bo and Craps
The Indian card games Teen Patti and Andar-Bahar
At SpinsBro (reviews) you’ll find well-known but also very rare live dealer games
Play without limits
As already mentioned, in international online casinos you can also play without the familiar restrictions. International casinos only have to comply with the requirements of their respective licensing authority.
No €1 stake limit
You can usually bet up to €100 per game on slot machines. In the live casino, table limits can be significantly higher for certain bets.
At some roulette and blackjack tables, stakes of several thousand euros at once are possible.
No deposit limit
You also won’t find a monthly deposit limit in an international online casino. On gambling sites without a German license, you can sometimes deposit or withdraw €4,000 or more per transaction. It is also possible to top up your player account multiple times in quick succession with large amounts.
Depending on the casino, voluntary limits for deposits are available, which you can either set yourself or request from customer support.
The delay caused by the 5-second rule also does not apply internationally. The game runs smoothly and is not interrupted by forced pauses. If you want, you can also set auto-play in some casinos.
Taxes and payout rate
Taxes on stakes do not apply without a German license either. This gives operators room for higher payout rates and allows for occasional bonus offers.
Of course every online casino has to pay taxes. However, in other countries these are usually only levied on business profits, not on players’ stakes.
Better return to player (payout rate)
Are the payouts higher? Due to the tax advantage, the average payout rate of the casino slot machines can consistently be between 92% and 97%. There is no need to crank up the house edge. So you can expect better winnings. In GGL casinos the RTP is only 80% to 90%.
The payout rate in casinos with a GGL license (84.44%, left) is significantly lower than in Spinight Casino (96.31%, right)
Higher maximum win
The maximum possible win is also better. Those who play high can win big (but don’t forget: you can also lose big). High potential winnings mean, especially with progressive jackpots, multi-million payouts.
Payment methods in a casino without a German license
The differences between casino payment methods are not huge, but they do exist.
Deposit and withdraw in euros
Regardless of the license, the euro is almost always available as a currency. Usually you can choose from these payment methods:
Online banking via Sofortüberweisung, Trustly or other platforms
The online wallets Neteller, MiFinity, Apple Pay and Jeton
Prepaid codes via Cashlib and Flexepin
Credit cards like MasterCard, Maestro and Visa
Bitcoin and other cryptos
Crypto casinos are only still permitted by a few regulators. Most of these hold a license from Curaçao or Kahnawake. Common ones are:
Bitcoin (BTC)
Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
Litecoin (LTC)
Ethereum (ETH)
Dogecoin (DOGE)
Advantages
More choice of games including jackpots and live dealer games, but also familiar slots like Starburst
No bet or deposit limits
Fewer restrictions, e.g. no 5-second rule
No taxes/Better payout rate
Better bonus
More anonymity
Disadvantages
Worse overview of wins and losses
Sometimes win limits from bonus offers
Lack of responsible gaming tools such as voluntary limits and a comprehensive account lock
Heavily restricted advertising opportunities
Conclusion on online casinos without a German license
There are reasons to play at a casino under German regulation. However, for most players, online casinos without a German license are more attractive. The excessive set of rules that casinos must submit to with the German authorities ultimately makes playing far less enjoyable.
Germans are internationally known for their regulatory zeal. It fits the cliché that this overly harsh approach is now driving players into the arms of international providers.
Our analysis shows: Online casinos without a German license are neither more nor less reputable than those with German approval. We should not confuse an international license with a casino that lacks any state regulation.
FAQ – Frequently asked questions about casinos without a German license
The situation is complicated, but many experts assume that an international gambling license is also valid. The online casinos do not hide; they operate their websites openly without being prevented from doing so.
How this will look in the future nobody can currently predict, but at the moment there are many casinos without a German license that offer their website in German.
Yes, you can play progressive jackpot slots and live casino tables at almost all providers. Often there are very large jackpot amounts as well as several roulette and blackjack tables. Also Plinko is only available in international casinos.
Casinos are always only bound by the conditions of their own license. And international licenses do not impose limits on the allowed bet size or on deposits.
There are indeed a few unscrupulous providers. For this reason we test like crazy and weed out the unreliable casinos. For example, most online casinos without verification are insecure.
Yes. At casinos with international licenses bonuses sometimes pour down on players like a waterfall. In our top list at the top of this article we have directly included some information about the respective offers.
Daniel
Autor
Zwar war ich schon früh hier und da in Spielotheken und Wettshops, doch so richtig kam ich erst durch die Arbeit ans Glücksspiel. Seit über 10 Jahren...
