Gambling Ads Are No Harmless Fun, German Specialists Warn

Gambling is often marketed as harmless leisure, with coupons and bonus promises used to attract customers. State addiction specialists in Germany say the advertising hides the consequences, including debt, loss of control and addiction.

“Advertising helps normalize gambling and make it appear as an everyday part of life,” said Verena Küpperbusch, head of the North Rhine-Westphalia gambling addiction center in Bielefeld. She said the industry uses emotional messages, promises of winnings and deliberate links between gambling, sport, entertainment and community. Personalized advertising can also target users directly.

According to figures Küpperbusch cited from the 2025 Gambling Survey, 3.14 million people in Germany gamble at risky levels. A further 1.25 million have a gambling disorder and are considered pathological or addicted players. In North Rhine-Westphalia, about 682,000 people gamble riskily and 273,000 are classified as gambling addicts.

The state centers are calling for substantially stricter regulation ahead of the nationwide action day against gambling addiction on Sept. 30. The gambling industry spent more than €620 million on advertising in Germany in 2025, making it one of the 10 sectors with the largest advertising budgets.

The specialists also cited extensive checks of the OASIS exclusion system as evidence of the industry’s advertising activity. Personalized advertising may be sent only to people who are not blocked in the nationwide register. Individuals can block themselves, while relatives can request a ban if they provide evidence of problematic gambling. Operators must seek third-party exclusions when they see signs of addiction, but Küpperbusch said such reports are very rare and the system does not work well. The centers want stricter limits on advertising and sponsorship for products with high addiction potential, factual rather than enticing social-media advertising, and tighter controls on bonuses, free bets and cashback offers.

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Advertising helps normalize gambling and make it appear as an everyday part of life.