GGL and the Federal Drug Commissioner Intensify Exchange for Effective Prevention, Regulation and the Fight Against Illegal Gambling

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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 on December 5, 2025, with Prof. Dr. Hendrik Streeck, the Federal Government’s Commissioner for Drugs and Addiction, to discuss current developments and areas of joint action.

Evidence-based societal discussion as a foundation

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

Benter emphasised that the fundamental mechanisms of the 2021 Interstate Gambling Treaty are effective and serve as a stable basis. Adjustments should be targeted and evidence-based.

Gambling addiction prevention as a core task of the GGL

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

• Information about risks and protective mechanisms,

• Combating illegal offers, which pose particular dangers,

• Monitoring of legal providers to ensure that all player protection regulations are met.

Benter said: “Regulation needs partners. The GGL sees itself as an interface between politics, authorities, research, and prevention institutions. The challenges in the area of gambling addiction can only be overcome together.”

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

Topics of conversation

In discussions with Professor Streeck, several topics were addressed that play an important role in both addiction prevention and gambling regulation. In addition to networking, a key focus was combating illegal gambling, and in particular the necessary reform of the German Criminal Code (StGB) from the perspective of the GGL (German Association for Gambling Prevention) regarding the expansion of prosecution options to illegally operating gambling services 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 through the combined efforts of all relevant stakeholders can regulation, prevention and the fight against illegal gambling be implemented sustainably. The GGL and the Federal Drug Commissioner therefore agreed to continue the dialogue they had begun.

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