Focus on Balancing Player Protection and Market Regulation

The prevention of gambling addiction, successful regulation of the gambling market, and the effective combating of illegal gambling can only be achieved through close cooperation among all responsible stakeholders. Against this backdrop, GGL board member Ronald Benter met officially for the first time with Prof. Dr. Hendrik Streeck, the Federal Government's Commissioner for Drugs and Addiction, on December 5, 2025, to discuss current developments and areas of joint action.

Evidence-Based Public Discussion as a Foundation
For the GGL, fact-based decisions and a broad, evidence-driven public debate are essential prerequisites for successful gambling addiction prevention. The exchange with the Federal Drug Commissioner serves to strengthen networking and consolidate findings from practice, counseling, and research.

Benter emphasized that the fundamental mechanisms of the 2021 Interstate Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV 2021) are effective and serve as a stable foundation. Adjustments should be targeted and evidence-based.

Gambling Addiction Prevention as a Core Task of the GGL

The prevention of gambling addiction is a central component of the GGL's work. To effectively protect players, the agency relies on three closely linked measures:

Education about risks and protective mechanisms,
Combating illegal gambling services, which pose particular dangers,
Monitoring legal providers to ensure compliance with all player protection regulations.

Exchange with government agencies, academia, and policymakers is a key element in this process. Benter: "Regulation needs partners. The GGL sees itself as an interface between policymakers, authorities, researchers, and prevention organizations. The challenges in the area of ​​gambling addiction can only be overcome together."

At the same time, Benter emphasized in a discussion with Prof. Dr. Streeck that the GGL faces a demanding balancing act every day: ensuring player protection on the one hand, and making the legal market sufficiently attractive and accessible on the other so that players do not resort to illegal services. Only when both aspects are considered together can regulation achieve its full effect.

Topics of Discussion
In dialogue with Prof. Streeck, several topics were discussed that play an important role in both addiction prevention and gambling regulation. In addition to networking, a key focus was the fight against illegal gambling, and in particular, the necessary reform of the German Criminal Code (StGB) from the GGL's perspective, regarding the expansion of prosecution options to illegal gambling operations abroad.

Outlook: Cooperation as the Key to Success
Both sides agreed that protecting against gambling addiction is a responsibility shared by society as a whole. Only if the relevant stakeholders work together can regulation, prevention, and the fight against illegal gambling be sustainably implemented. The GGL and the Federal Drug Commissioner therefore agreed to continue the dialogue.