Taxation on Sports Betting in Germany

What is the Racing Bets and Lotteries Act (Rennwett- und Lotteriegesetz)?

This act was passed by the German legislator and came into force on 01.07.2012. From this date onwards, all sports bets (offline and online) are subject to taxation at a rate of 5% of the stake wagered, which must be paid to the financial authorities. The Racing Bets and Lotteries Act does not only affect sportingbet but the entire sports betting market in Germany.

How does it affect the sportingbet customers?

For all bets lost, sportingbet will cover the entire taxation amount. Only in the case of won bets we will retain a 5% fee of the winnings (gross) to partially cover the tax burden.

How will the bet slip change?

From now on, your bet slip will, in addition to the odds and stake, also show:
- Possible winnings (gross)
- 5% fee (only applicable in the case of won bets)
- Possible winnings (net)

How does the Racing Bets and Lotteries Act work?

Here’s an example. Imagine you place a EUR 10.00 sports bet at odds of 2.00.
Should you win your bet, your winnings (gross) would be EUR 20.00. In this case, we would retain EUR 1.00 (5% of your gross winnings) as your contribution to the tax burden. Your winnings (net) would therefore be EUR 19.00. Should you lose your bet, sportingbet will cover the entire tax burden.

Please note that, also as a result of the new taxation on sports betting, it is no longer possible to place bets with odds of less than 1.06.

The Racing Bets and Lotteries Act only affects sports bets.

For further information, please read our Terms and Conditions. For any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact our Contact.

Your sportingbet team