# How we rank sports betting sites in Germany

> We only rank sportsbooks licensed by the GGL, and only those whose way of charging the 5.3% betting tax we could verify. Each is scored from 0 to 10 on six weighted criteria, licensing and safety, markets and features, odds, tax and limits, payments and payouts, app and experience, and support and responsible gambling, and the ranking follows the overall scores. We don't collect odds automatically or score bonuses.

- URL: https://safebet.ai/de/sports-betting/how-we-rank/
- Markdown version: https://safebet.ai/de/sports-betting/how-we-rank/index.html.md
- Last updated: 2026-10-22 (re-checked when an operator changes its terms or a regulator or court acts)
- Author: SafeBet.ai Research Team (SafeBet.ai)
- Notice: Advertising. SafeBet.ai may be paid by the sportsbooks shown when you register through our links. We only link to sportsbooks licensed by the GGL and on its whitelist. 18+ only.
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- Editorial policy and advertiser disclosure: https://safebet.ai/editorial-policy/

## Key takeaways

- Eligibility first: only sportsbooks on the GGL whitelist qualify, and we must be able to verify how each charges the betting tax.
- Six criteria, fixed weights: licensing and safety 25%, markets and features 20%, odds, tax and limits 15%, payments and payouts 15%, app and experience 15%, support and responsible gambling 10%.
- The betting tax counts in the odds score: a book that pays it scores highest, one that keeps 5% of every winning payout lowest.
- We don't collect odds automatically; we score what each book publishes, and our betting tax calculator lets you compare prices yourself.
- No bonuses: a German licensee may only advertise bonuses the GGL has approved.

## What we rank

Our [ranking of the best betting sites in Germany](https://safebet.ai/de/sports-betting/) compares sportsbooks licensed by the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) and listed on its whitelist, at the exact .de addresses the whitelist names. Because the 5.3% betting tax shapes what every bet pays, we only rank books whose way of charging it we could verify in their terms, help pages or app listings.

## The six criteria

| Criterion | Weight | The question we ask |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing & safety | 25% | Is it licensed by the GGL and on its whitelist, and how clean is its record with the regulators? |
| Markets & features | 20% | How many sports and bet types are there, including the Bundesliga, and how good are live betting, bet builders and cash out within Germany's limits on in-play bets? |
| Odds, tax & limits | 15% | How does it pass on the 5.3% betting tax, what does it publish about its margins, and how high are its maximum payouts? |
| Payments & payouts | 15% | Does it take PayPal, Klarna, Trustly, cards and paysafecard, what are the limits and fees, and how fast does it say withdrawals are paid? |
| App & experience | 15% | How do German bettors rate its iOS and Android apps, and how easy is it to find a market and build a bet? |
| Support & responsible gambling | 10% | Can you reach a person easily, and are limits, breaks and self-exclusion (OASIS) easy to find and use? |

Each criterion gets a rating from 0 to 10; the overall score is the weighted average, rounded to one decimal, and the ranking follows it.

## How the betting tax and odds are scored

German sportsbooks owe 5.3% of every stake to the tax office and decide themselves how to pass it on. That's the biggest published difference in price between them, so it drives the odds score:

- **The book pays it:** highest scores (Tipico, Winamax).
- **Deducted from winning bets only:** middle scores (Betano, bet-at-home).
- **5% of every winning payout kept:** lowest score (ODDSET).

Published maximum winnings and minimum stakes, such as Betano's per-market table, add to the score. We don't collect odds automatically. Instead, our [betting tax calculator](https://safebet.ai/de/sports-betting/betting-tax-calculator/) lets you enter two books' odds on the same game and see which pays more after tax.

## How we rate the other criteria

- **Licensing & safety:** a current GGL licence starts near the top; a long licensing history, a German operator and retail licences add to it. Public warnings, revoked licences or inconsistent company details cost points.
- **Markets & features:** the Bundesliga and its lower divisions, the number of sports, live betting within the legal limits, bet builders, cash out (partial and automatic count extra) and streaming.
- **Payments & payouts:** published withdrawal times count most, then fees, minimums and the choice of methods. A book whose payment pages we couldn't read scores conservatively.
- **App & experience:** ratings on Germany's App Store and Google Play on the date checked, weighted by how many people rated them.
- **Support & responsible gambling:** hours and channels, with a phone line or 24/7 support scoring highest, plus limits, breaks and how easily you can register with OASIS.

## What we leave out

**Bonuses and promotions.** A German licensee may only advertise bonuses the GGL has approved, so we don't list or score them. **Unlicensed sportsbooks**, which are illegal in Germany, and **bets on politics or entertainment**, which can't be licensed at all.

## Where our facts come from

The GGL whitelist, the GlüStV 2021, the Rennwett- und Lotteriegesetz, each sportsbook's terms, help centre and imprint, and Germany's App Store and Google Play, each dated on the page. Where a sportsbook's site blocks visitors from outside Germany, we used its app listings or dated Internet Archive copies, and the review says so.

## Independence

SafeBet.ai may be paid by sportsbooks whose links are marked as sponsored, never based on your deposits, stakes or losses, but a sportsbook can't buy a place or a score. See our [editorial policy](https://safebet.ai/editorial-policy/), and [tell us](https://safebet.ai/support/) if something's out of date.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why does the betting tax matter so much?

Because it changes what every winning bet pays. A winning €100 bet at odds of 2.00 pays back €200 where the book pays the tax, €194.70 where it's deducted from winning bets, and €190 where 5% of the payout is kept. Over many bets, that's a bigger difference than most odds gaps.

### Why aren't bet365 and bwin ranked?

Both are licensed in Germany, but their German help pages and terms block visitors from outside Germany, and their app listings don't say how they charge the betting tax. We'll add them when we can verify it.

### Does a sportsbook paying SafeBet.ai change its score?

No. Every rating is shown and explained in the review, and the ranking follows the overall scores; the site won't build if it doesn't. German law bans pay for this kind of advertising that depends on revenue, deposits or stakes (§ 5 Abs. 6 GlüStV 2021). See our [editorial policy](https://safebet.ai/editorial-policy/).

## Sources

1. [Rennwett- und Lotteriegesetz (§§ 16–21, Sportwettensteuer)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/rennwlottg_2021/BJNR206510021.html) — Bundesministerium der Justiz, accessed 2026-10-22
2. [Glücksspielstaatsvertrag 2021 (§§ 5, 21; consolidated text)](https://www.gluecksspiel-behoerde.de/images/pdf/20250131_Konsolidierte%20Fassung%20des%20GluStV%202021%20mit%20Anderungen%20von%202022.pdf) — Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder, accessed 2026-10-22
3. [Übersicht erlaubter Anbieter (Whitelist)](https://www.gluecksspiel-behoerde.de/de/fuer-spielende/uebersicht-erlaubter-anbieter-whitelist) — Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder, last updated 2026-10-02; accessed 2026-10-22
4. [Öffentliche Abmahnungen](https://www.gluecksspiel-behoerde.de/de/fuer-spielende/oeffentliche-abmahnungen) — Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder, updated 2026-07-08; accessed 2026-10-22