A nationwide gambling survey in Germany shows that overall participation has remained stable, but key risk groups continue to raise concern for regulators and policymakers.

The German Gambling Survey 2025 found that 36.4% of respondents engaged in at least one paid gambling activity over the past 12 months, a figure broadly unchanged since 2021. The study analysed 12,340 responses from individuals aged 16 to 70, using both telephone interviews and online panels.

Stable participation masks underlying risks

While participation levels remain consistent, disparities across demographics are evident. Men (40.4%) are more likely to gamble than women (32.4%), and participation increases with age, peaking among those aged 56 to 70.

However, younger adults show higher vulnerability to gambling harm. Individuals aged 18 to 35 recorded the highest prevalence of gambling disorders, with risk particularly elevated among users engaging in multiple gambling products or combining online and land-based play.

Overall, 2.2% of adults met the criteria for gambling disorder under DSM-5 standards, while an additional 5.5% were classified as at risk.

High-risk products and behaviours drive harm

The survey identified certain gambling formats as significantly higher risk, including online slots, land-based slot machines, sports betting and KENO.

Online slots showed the highest association with gambling disorder, with 32.5% of players in this category meeting diagnostic criteria. Multi-product users also displayed substantially higher risk levels, with those engaging in four or more gambling types showing nearly double the level of cognitive distortions compared to single-product users.

Financial behaviour overlap was also observed. Around 6.5% of respondents reported engaging in day trading, with a notable share of these individuals also participating in gambling, suggesting behavioural similarities between speculative trading and betting.

Growing awareness, but uneven knowledge of safeguards

Public awareness of age restrictions remains high, with 85% of respondents recognising the legal minimum age and 92% supporting it. However, knowledge of other regulatory safeguards, including advertising restrictions and responsible gambling tools, is less widespread.

At the same time, engagement with protective measures is increasing. Germany’s national self-exclusion register, OASIS, now includes approximately 350,000 users, indicating growing adoption of harm prevention tools.

Policy focus shifts to targeted intervention

The findings come as Germany continues to evaluate its regulatory framework, with particular attention on vulnerable segments such as younger men and high-frequency, multi-product players.

Additional research suggests that gambling advertising disproportionately influences at-risk individuals, reinforcing calls for more targeted policy interventions and stricter oversight of marketing practices.

Sources: IGB