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Apple Pay in German Casinos
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In the past, online gambling in Germany was quite limited. However, that is no longer the case, as German players now have loads of safe and regulated options to enjoy. The country has established an evolving legal framework that prioritizes fair play. Operators licensed by the GGL, or the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder, ensure responsible play for Germans, who can utilize foreign gambling sites, some of which allow Apple Pay for depositing. Apple Pay is a payment service that is supported by almost all major German banks, and it is allowed at around half of GGL-licensed platforms, ranking as a top transaction choice for iOS users. Read on to find out why Apple Pay has emerged as such an outstanding session funding pick at German online casinos.
Online Gambling Regulation in Germany
Germany has never been a stranger to games of chance, even though the country did not have a very developed gambling industry for much of the 20th century. It had decentralized regulation, charitable casinos, with actual ones reopening in the 1950s, somewhat treated as a tool for social control.
Games of chance that involved real money betting have been documented in Germany going back to the Middle Ages, where a dice game called Glückshaus was super popular in taverns in Germany in the 15th and 16th centuries. At the start of the 19th century, the country opened its first licensed casinos, and in 1872, it passed its Imperial Gambling Act.
Regarding playing games for money on the Web, that was not possible in this land famous for its beer culture until 2012. In 2008, Germany signed an Interstate Treaty on Gambling, nicknamed GlüStV, which ushered in the era of such agreements, and it tried to build a regulatory framework that featured a government-based monopoly on retail betting and casino play. In 2012, the state of Schleswig-Holstein passed its gambling law, under which it issued licenses for betting operators and online casinos.
Now, in 2013, after the country experienced a change of government, Schleswig-Holstein chose to rejoin the previously cited Interstate Treaty, and that created a conflict, as the licenses it issued remained valid, producing a grey market of sorts. Operators legal in this part of the country were accessible nationwide.
In 2021, things got cleared up with the Fourth Interstate Treaty on Gambling – GlüStV 2021. Per this agreement that came into force in July 2021, online poker, slots, and wagering on sporting events were all legal across the nation, and the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder, or GGL, got founded to act as the country’s central Internet gambling regulator. When all this happened, Germany too introduced its self-exclusion system named OASIS, based on the UK’s GamStop, and the limit monitoring scheme called LUGAS.
All that said, many Germans still select to use internationally licensed gambling sites, ones operating from countries like Gibraltar, Malta, Anjouan, Curacao, etc. Though these platforms are unauthorized in Germany, and their use can theoretically carry fines, going by actual practices, German authorities rarely prosecute individuals who play on foreign sites.
Even though some ISPs block access to unlicensed sites, many Germans still find ones that will accept them, seeking out such hubs on account of these platforms letting them use cryptos to gamble, offering more enticing bonuses, and having much deeper game libraries.
Players who choose to stick to the much safer German-regulated online casinos must adhere to various restrictions put in place for their financial security, such as a strict €1,000 monthly deposit limit across all licensed operators, a €1 maximum slot stake, a five-second wait between spins, and no autoplay functions available. Those limitations are not found on foreign sites. However, many Germans stay clear of those, preferring GGL-licensed brands, as these supply proper legal recourse when operator-related issues arise, and are more likely to include Apple Pay in the payment arsenal. Keep reading to learn just how Apple Pay integrates into the German casino ecosystem.
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Using Apple Pay Across German Online Casinos
Apple Pay is a payment method that often gets labeled a digital wallet, even though it does not work like renowned electronic wallets used for online gambling, such as Neteller, Skrill, and PayPal. Unlike those money transfer methods, Apple Pay cannot store funds; it can only act as an intermediary between a user’s bank account and their chosen merchants. It is a transaction middleman that facilitates safe payments using tokenization tech that obscures customers’ card details.
This solution debuted in 2014, and it started to get offered in Germany in December 2018, initially supported by around fifteen financial services and banks, including some major ones like O2 Banking, N26, and Deutsche Bank.
It is paramount to note that Apple Pay is only available to users of Apple devices, meaning only those with an iPad, Mac laptop, iPhone, Apple Watch, or Vision headset can utilize it. It is a part of the Apple ecosystem and uses tokenization, an encryption-type process that replaces sensitive data with a nonsensical equivalent. In this case, Apple Pay ciphers a user’s debit or credit card information with a different representation for it, which, if intercepted, is useless. Hence, to send money through Apple Pay, a person must link a payment card to this service, from which funds are drawn.
Withdrawals through Apple Pay are not possible, as this is generally only a solution for sending money to other parties. When one tries to deposit funds through it at a selected online casino accepting German players, for their top-up to get finalized, that person must confirm the transaction using one of several Apple Pay authentication methods, such as Face ID, Touch ID, Optic ID, a passcode, or a PIN.
International platforms are not that partial to Apple Pay, as they prefer more globally accepted methods that can also facilitate withdrawing. Nonetheless, many such hubs allow its use, and around half of GGL-regulated sites optimized for mobile play do as well.
Going by data from Frisbii, a SaaS platform for revenue management, at the time of writing, Apple Pay trailed far behind other digital payment solutions in Germany, ranking below methods like PayPal, Klarna, Amazon Pay, and Giropay. Naturally, that too is owed, in large part, to the limited user pool this payment option has, since it is only on hand for Apple consumers.
To set it up, you must tap the + icon that lets you connect your supported card to your device’s Wallet app. Upon the completion of that step, which includes you manually entering your card info or scanning your card, the next one is picking a default authentication method from the several discussed above.
After doing all that, you are ready to choose an Apple Pay casino for Germans and make EUR deposits. When you have your casino site account topped up, to start playing slots, table products, or whatever games you desire, you will need to follow our mini-guide detailed below.
Deposits and Withdrawals with Apple Pay
Apple Pay has been integrated at numerous German-friendly casinos. From the GGL-licensed options, brands like DrückGlück and StarGames are high-end picks, but Germans too can check out international standouts, ones that prioritize mobile experiences for Apple fans.
This service is designed to guarantee secure depositing for users who want to play on the go. While prioritizing sites with such a focus, look to also settle on ones with verifiable licenses, strong reputations for never cheating players, and check to see if they have great games and bonuses. As soon as you locate such a platform and create an account with it, here is what you will need to do to fill your balance there with Apple Pay:
- Log in to your account, and go to its Banking or Cashier section, usually found through a top-bar drop-down menu.
- Click on the Deposits tab in the Banking/Cashier window or page, and choose the Apple Pay icon presented there.
- Enter how much you wish to put into your balance, meeting the selected hub’s minimum limit, and not exceeding the €1,000 monthly cap mandatory on German-licensed sites.
- Authenticate your transfer.
- Confirm that the deposited funds have appeared in your platform balance, which should occur immediately.
Those expecting to withdraw their winnings with Apple Pay are in for a disappointment, as they will have to opt for another option for this. Many veterans suggest routing payouts to the linked debit or credit card, or going for an alternative like a bank transfer. Picking a method that sends payouts to the connected Apple Pay card, to the same bank account, is needed in order to meet any potential closed-loop rules. PayPal, Klarna, or Trustly are other viable choices that may deliver fast withdrawals.
Apple Pay imposes no fees, though minor bank charges may apply. Know that you cannot withdraw at a GGL-approved website without going through a Know Your Customer verification process. This may happen before you place any bets, and will include uploading a photo ID and proof of address. Foreign sites that permit crypto may not demand this, but to create an account at both those hubs and home German casinos, you will have to be over eighteen years old.
Conclusion
While Germans have access to many digital payment solutions like Klarna, PayPal, or Giropay, Apple Pay is the obvious go-to for iOS players. It is a native app built into all Apple devices, and one that provides ironclad security, on top of effortless usability. It is not available at all licensed online casinos serving the German market, but it can be found at many of the top ones, and at international platforms, facilitating safe EUR deposits.
FAQs
Is it legal to gamble online in Germany?
It is legal to gamble in Germany, as the country now has a regulated market that got founded thanks to the passing of the Glücksspielstaatsvertrag (GlüStV 2021). That is a treaty that permits German-based operators to offer online slots, poker, and sports betting to Germans, with these companies getting overseen by the GGL.
Can German players get access to international online casinos?
They can. However, it is crucial to point out that these platforms get treated as unregulated sites and are officially considered illegal. Still, there are no documented cases of Germans receiving legal penalties for using them. Regulations usually target operators, not individuals, similar to what is practiced in other European countries.
Will I find many German online casinos that offer Apple Pay?
Yes. There are many GGL-licensed casinos that happily offer Apple Pay to German players. These are the ideal choices for gamblers looking to feel safe and protected. International sites have not been as adoptive of this payment method, but ones that feature it can be easily found, and what they lack in dispute recourse measures, they make up for in bonuses and games.
Are there any Apple Pay online casino restrictions for Germans?
No. Apple Pay does not have any unique restrictions aside from not allowing withdrawals. That said, if one chooses to fund a GGL site account with this transaction option or any other, they must adhere to German general gambling regulations that restrict monthly deposits to €1,000, impose €1 spin caps, and require mandatory wait times between gaming rounds.
What are the best options for withdrawing wins attained through Apple Pay deposits?
As a rule of thumb, it is best to go with the linked Apple Pay card for payouts or a bank transfer. Transaction choices where won funds land in the same bank account used for depositing. Players who want to get their payout quickly can go with PayPal, Trustly, or Skrill.