German federal drugs commissioner urges government action over sports betting ads

Germany’s federal government commissioner for addiction and drug issues, Burkhard Blienert, has called for improved youth and consumer protection around gambling.

The call to action is part of Blienert’s concerns around alcohol, tobacco and gambling consumption in Germany.

Blienert said that Germany’s laws regarding addictive substances and sports betting were among the most relaxed in Europe, leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths yearly.

As part of his proposals, the commissioner recommended a blanket ban on sports betting advertising before 9pm, in line with the current restrictions on online casino advertising.

Blienert said: “We need a real paradigm shift, a mindset shift when it comes to drug and addiction policy. The best thing would be at all hours, but at least in prime time.”

Any such ban would likely require the input of the new federal gambling regulator, the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL).

Currently, the GGL is focused on sifting through 3,500 licence applications submitted to it before its official start date at the beginning of this year.

The regulator is also cracking down on illegal gambling operations in Germany, which means that the GGL may not look into the issues raised by Blienert for some time.

This is not the first time Blienert has voiced his concerns about gambling advertising.

In September 2022, Blienert joined up with the Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) in calls for a 9pm watershed on sports betting advertising across TV and the internet.

At the time, Blienert said: “Advertising for online gambling and sports betting is spreading at breakneck speed.

“This trend is concerning because hundreds of thousands of people already have a gambling problem or are even addicted. I urge countries to stop advertising such offers. In plain language, there should be no more sports betting advertising before 9pm on TV or on the internet.”