Esports Betting in Germany 2025: All you need to know about esports gambling in Germany

Germany is known to all as a rigid country where discipline is the key to success! And esports betting in Germany is not an exception to such a rule!

In this article, we have got all the insights and everything you need to know before placing a bet. Check out the best esports betting sites in Germany, and which events and teams take priority whether you’re brand new to betting or a seasoned veteran!

Is it legal to gamble on esports in Germany?

It may be hard to believe but in 2008, an interstate treaty was decreed banning esports betting in Germany. However, in 2012 the state of Schleswig-Holstein did not want to continue to comply with this agreement.

They enacted laws regulating online gambling on a regional basis. They granted various licenses to local and foreign operators. However, in 2014 political changes occurred in Schleswig-Holstein which resulted in the repeal of the online gambling laws.

Therefore, esports betting in Germany was only possible if players used foreign sites. The law wasn’t clear, for example, that no penalties were imposed on gamblers, only bookmakers who exploited online gambling.

The good news is the question of whether esports betting is legal in Germany was finally answered clearly in 2021. The latest treaty legalized a number of ways to bet online in Germany, including esports. That means that as long as you bet at a regulated betting provider, you can place as many esports bets in Germany as you want!

Best esports betting sites in Germany

Betting on esports isn’t easy if you choose the wrong bookmaker. So, that’s why we’ve done the hard work and research for you. Here is a small list of sites that may be the best choices for German players:

Neo.bet

Neo.Bet is a bookmaker with a license issued by the MGA. It’s also one of the very first sites to receive a German license. As an esports betting site, Neo.bet has a wide variety of events on offer. You can bet on anything from Dota 2 to Counter-Strike, check out the full list in our Neo.bet review. Also, it offers a welcome bonus that doubles your first deposit and some seasonal bonuses to keep you playing for low cash.

22Bet

Currently, 22Bet has updated its regulations in Germany and is licensed by the Curaçao government to operate. They have a welcome bonus of 100% bonus up to 122 EUR and 122 free spins on your first deposit. Their esports offer is one of the most extensive with Dota 2, CS2, LOL, StarCraft, Rocket League, King of Glory, and many other games available.

Luckbox

At Luckbox, you can bet live and watch by streaming the events of Overwatch, Dota, CSGO, League of Legends, among others. Besides, they give a 100% registration bonus on the initial deposit. The site is reliable because it is licensed by the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision. On the other hand, they have several specific betting markets that are not as common in other betting sites, especially for FPS esports titles.

Betway –Not anymore

Betway has 15 years of experience, more than 2 million users, and licenses from the MGA and the UK Gambling Commission. Their welcome bonus doubles the first deposit and they offer many betting markets in most relevant esports championships. Unfortunately, since December for regulatory reasons, the site was forced to stop its operations in the country. It may have been a bit disappointing at the time but the gap they left is surely to be filled.

© ESL

Favorite esports to bet on in Germany

The interest in esports betting in Germany has grown considerably, as has the prevalence of esports events including the Dota 2 Berlin Major and IEM Cologne 2023. It is worth mentioning that, in this country, they organize annual events such as ESL One, where the profits generated are millions. For example, in 2018, 62,500,000 Euros were collected in esports, which exceeds what was obtained by other European countries. Immediately, we’ll tell you about esports with more fans and bets:

Favorite tournaments and teams in Germany

Knowing players, teams, and tournaments will give you an advantage in finding the best esports betting odds. So, here is what you will find when looking for esports gambling in Germany:

For CS2

Teams that compete in professional Counter-Strike will face each other in several tournaments. With a huge number of tournaments held every year, there’s a lot of excitement to expect:

• IEM Cologne: Organized by ESL, this top tier event will see some of the best Counter-strike teams in the world go head to head for a share of the $1 million prize pool.
• ESL Pro League: They might not be taking place in Germany but it’s still full of online esports betting opportunities! The best esports sites in Germany will surely keep you abreast of everything that happens.

For League of Legends

League of Legends is one of the most popular esports in the world. This MOBA has a huge pro scene with multiple regions. And you know what that means: plenty of betting opportunities. There might not be any events taking place in Germany but there are plenty of players to cheer on at the MSI, Worlds and beyond.

For Dota 2

The ESL Berlin Major was the only Dota 2 event that will take place in Germany in 2023 but German players have a brilliant standing. In fact, the current 2 time Major champions, Gaimin Gladiators, have a German player in their midst. Fans will be able to catch all of Tofu’s performances in the WEU DPC, Bali Major and even The International.

Local esports teams and companies in Germany

In 2017, the esports association esport-Bund Deutschland eV was founded in Germany. Teams, event promoters, and esports organizations are affiliated with it. Initially, there were 22 members, but the number has grown up to 61 members by January 2021.

On the other hand, the best German esports teams for esports betting in Germany (based on their records) are:

• SK Gaming – “Schroet Kommando” has terrified opponents since 1997, and is one of the most established esports organizations on the planet. Over the past two decades it has fielded some of the best rosters in CS:GO and some of the most recognizable players in the history of the scene. They departed the CS scene back in 2018 and are mostly focused on their LEC and EM teams in League of Legends.
• Mousesports – Since 2002 this eesports club has won several tournaments in games like CSGO and Dota 2. In 2019 it won the League of Legends championship. Also, in 2019 it was ranked number one in the ESL world. One of his most famous players is Chris de Jong (chrisJ) from the Netherlands. He has accumulated more than $600,000 in wins.
• BIG – Berlin International Gaming or BIG is making waves in the esports scene after former NRG Esports players gobb, LEGIJA and tabseN founded the organization back in 2017. The team has won over a million dollars in prize money in their short lifetime, and plenty of premier level CS2 events.
• Unicorns of Love – The small family-run esports organization has made waves in the LoL scene in the five years. Currently fielding LoL rosters competing in both the Russian LCL and the European Masters Prime Division, UoL is one of the most beloved esports organisations in Europe.

It is worth mentioning that one of the best esports players in Germany is Kuro Salehi (Kuroky). He recently formed his own team, Team Nigma, after retiring from Team Liquid. In earnings, he has accumulated more than 5 million dollars.

Esports industry in Germany

Now let’s talk about the companies related to esports. The most important is ESL, which is part of the MTG group. It is an industry leader in Germany and other countries because it organizes online and offline championships. Besides, it operates hand in hand with other brands such as Championship, DreamHack, and Intel Extreme Masters.

© ESL | Jak Howard

Esports gambling in Germany: Betting markets

The market for esports betting in Germany is vast. You will immediately see that you can bet on the most famous games:

Accepted payment methods in Germany

German players have several methods to finance their esports bets in Germany. These are accepted in many parts of the world, and are reliable and secure for this type of transaction.

It is important to note that, payment methods such as Paypal, Visa, and MasterCard are not available. Because of that the prohibition of transactions on unauthorized gaming sites.

It is expected that soon with the approval of the new state treaty for online gambling. The use of these forms of payment will again be allowed.

Below, we present the ones available for you to know:

• eWallets: Neteller, Skrill Moneybookers.
• Payment system: Sofort, Giropay, Trustly.
• Prepaid card: Paysafecard.

Last words on Esports Betting in Germany

In just a few years, there has been an accelerated growth in the gaming industry in Europe. For this reason, the German authorities approved in July 2021 a treaty that will legalize esports betting in Germany.

This is a big step forward, as esportsbooks offering their betting services in this country must be licensed. In this way, consumers’ rights will be protected.