Where to get help for gambling problems in Germany

If you’re in crisis

If you’re thinking about harming yourself, call the TelefonSeelsorge now: 0800 111 0 111, 0800 111 0 222 or 116 123. It’s free and answers day and night, and you can also chat or email through telefonseelsorge.de. In an emergency, call 112.

The national gambling helpline

The BIÖG gambling helpline is run by the Bundesinstitut für Öffentliche Gesundheit, the federal public health institute formerly known as the BZgA:

The counsellors are anonymous and independent of any gambling operator, and can point you to local addiction services. The states’ addiction agencies list counselling centres near you at bundesweit-gegen-gluecksspielsucht.de, and the DHS keeps a national directory of addiction services.

Excluding yourself from gambling: OASIS

OASIS is Germany’s central exclusion register, run for all 16 states by the Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt in Hesse (§ 8 GlüStV 2021). An exclusion blocks you from every licensed sports betting, slot, poker and online casino offer, as well as land-based casinos, arcades and frequent lotteries.

• How to apply: on any licensed operator’s website, or directly with Darmstadt by sending a signed application and a copy of your ID card or passport. A driving licence isn’t accepted.
• How long: at least one year, unless you choose a shorter period, which can’t be less than three months (§ 8a Abs. 6).
• How it ends: never on its own. You must apply in writing after the minimum period, and the exclusion lifts a week after your application arrives at the earliest (§ 8b).
• Cost: free (§ 8c).
• Family members can apply for a third-party exclusion if they have evidence of a legal reason, such as problem gambling; it always lasts at least a year.

OASIS only reaches licensed operators: sites without a German licence aren’t connected, so they won’t stop you.

Tools every licensed site must offer

• Panic button: one press locks you out for 24 hours, with no “are you sure?”, and the lock applies everywhere through OASIS (§ 6i Abs. 3).
• €1,000 monthly deposit limit across all sites, enforced through the GGL’s LUGAS system (§ 6c). You can lower it at any time; raising it takes 7 days.
• Your own limits: daily, weekly and monthly deposit, stake and loss limits at each operator.
• Reality checks and early warning: operators must watch for signs of risky play with an automated system, and many show a reminder after an hour of play.

Warning signs

Consider getting help if you:

• chase losses by betting more, or bet money meant for bills;
• feel restless or irritable when you try to cut down;
• hide how much you gamble from people close to you;
• borrow money or sell things to keep playing.

Helping someone else

You can call the BIÖG helpline about someone else’s gambling too, and check-dein-spiel.de has a section for family and friends. If the person agrees, they can self-exclude through OASIS; otherwise a third-party exclusion is possible with evidence.