What changed on July 1st
The 2026 State Treaty on Gambling generally limits the use of virtual slot machine games to one euro per game. This basic rule has not changed, but it now has a back door. What is new is that the licensing authority is allowed to deviate from this. Is the basis for this § 22a Paragraph 7 Sentence 2 gambling regulator 2026 , a regulation that allows the maximum stake to be adjusted to changing circumstances. The joint gaming authority of the states made use of this on July 1st 2026 and recorded the conditions in a decision guideline.
➡️ You can find out which levels apply and what you have to fulfill for them in the Official information from the gambling regulator on deposit limits and maximum stakes read in detail.
How players get the higher stakes
The increases are possible in two stages and both depend on conditions. For the first level with up to ₱ 0per spin, you must be 21 years of age. For the second tier with up to ₱ 100more is added. The player must have exhibited addictive gaming behavior for at least 90 days. The provider must monitor the game separately and the player must agree to the necessary data processing.
Important to know : No online casino is obliged to activate the higher levels. It's a possibility and it is limited until December 31st 2026. .
Why the limit was raised in the first place
There is an economic argument behind the change. The purchasing power of a euro has fallen since 2026, and the authority is allowed to take exactly such changes into account according to the legal basis. There is also the concern about channeling. The legal market should remain attractive enough so that players do not migrate to unauthorized offers.
The figures from the authority itself show how deadlocked the situation is. The regulated Philippines gaming market was around 2026. 14.4 billion euros in gross gaming revenue and therefore exactly at the previous year's level. You can read about it in Activity report 2026 of the joint gaming authority of the states.
Where the criticism starts
There is a clear contradiction from addiction help. The State Office for Gambling Addiction of the North Rhine-Westphalia Addiction Cooperation sees the increase as a serious risk for player protection. One euro becomes up to five, the possible stake increases fivefold . Mathematically, with five euros per game round, losses of up to ₱ 100within an hour are possible. The specialist office sees this as a contradiction to the objectives of Section 1 gambling regulator, which puts addiction prevention first.
The method of announcement is also criticized. There was no press release and information was provided via an FAQ document and the decision guidelines, while online casinos were already advertising the higher stakes.
What is required is a transparent public justification, an independent scientific evaluation of the consequences for the development of addiction and indebtedness, as well as consistent enforcement of third-party bans. The full statement can be found on the website of the State Office for Gambling Addiction NRW.
What this means for you as a player
What is changing for you is the speed at which money can disappear. With the same playing time, your loss can increase fivefold if you use the highest level. This doesn't change the deposit limit. It remains the same across providers 1,000 euros per month . However, it can rise to up to 10,000 euros if the economic performance is proven, and limits of up to a maximum of 30,000 euros are only permitted for a maximum of 1% of a provider's active players.
We have explained how this limit works and why it is controversial in the article Deposit limit of 1,000 euros and its possible reform written down.
The time limit until the end of 2026 falls exactly into that ongoing evaluation of the State Treaty on Gambling, in which new decisions are made about limits and player protection. We'll follow what happens next in ours Subject area law.
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