- Status
- Judgment entered (judgment)
- As of
- 15 Jun 2023 · read from the court record
- Court
- Oberverwaltungsgericht des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt, 3. Senat · Appellate court
- Docket
- 3 M 11/23 u.a.
- Filed
- not on record
- Type
- Operator v. regulator, regulator and attorney general cases
- Money
- No settlement fund or award on record
- Payout
- No payout exists as of 14 Nov 2026
Status words follow the court record: a complaint states one side's allegations, only the court's orders decide anything. Filing a settlement claim is always free.
What this case is about
In five interim proceedings brought by newly licensed online slot and poker operators, the VG Halle had restored suspensive effect against licence conditions for lack of reasons; on the GGL's appeals the OVG reversed most of that. It held the bans on long-form advertising programmes, on advertising free-play casino games, on influencer marketing, on streamer advertising and on affiliate partners who also promote illegal gambling to be lawful, but found the total ban on outdoor advertising (billboards, Litfasssaeulen, public-transport vehicles) and the pre-21:00 ban at adults-only film screenings disproportionate. Final (press release 8/2023 of 20.06.2023).
What this case is about
The Oberverwaltungsgericht des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt (3. Senat) decided five interim proceedings on 15 June 2023 under dockets 3 M 11/23, 3 M 14/23, 3 M 19/23, 3 M 24/23 and 3 M 25/23. Newly licensed operators of virtual slot machines and online poker challenged conditions attached to their German licences by the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL).
The Verwaltungsgericht Halle had restored suspensive effect against the conditions for lack of reasons. The GGL appealed. The case belongs to our tracker of Regulators and Attorneys General in Court.
Who is covered
The orders concern licensed online slot and poker operators and the authority that licenses them. They shape which advertising conditions the GGL can attach to a licence under § 4a ff. and § 5 GlüStV 2021.
The five proceedings were brought by operators that had only recently been licensed. The Halle court had acted for lack of reasons in the conditions, not on the merits of each ban.
Players are not parties. The effect on them is indirect: it sets what kind of advertising licensed operators may run in Germany.
Is there a payout?
No payout exists in this case. It is a dispute between operators and a regulator over licence conditions, and the record shows no fine, fund or claim process for players.
What the court decided
As of 14 November 2026 the orders of 15 June 2023 are final, according to press release 8/2023 of the court dated 20 June 2023. On the GGL's appeals the OVG changed most of the Halle orders.
The court held these conditions lawful:
- the ban on long-form advertising programmes (Dauerwerbesendungen)
- the ban on advertising free-play casino games
- the ban on influencer marketing
- the ban on streamer advertising
- the ban on affiliate partners who also promote illegal gambling
It found two conditions disproportionate: the total ban on outdoor advertising (billboards, Litfasssaeulen, public-transport vehicles) and the ban before 21:00 at adults-only film screenings. The GGL's wider enforcement record is listed under GGL Lawsuits.
Why it matters
The orders are an early appellate signal that the GGL may restrict most online advertising channels, but not all of them. Operators cannot assume a blanket ban on outdoor advertising will hold.
These were interim proceedings, so they did not decide the full main cases. Other decisions in Gambling Lawsuits in Germany test the same regulator on enforcement.
Related cases
- OVG Sachsen-Anhalt, Beschluss vom 02.12.2024, 3 M 169/24: the same court on an enforcement deficit (Vollzugsdefizit) around the deposit limit.
- VG Halle (Saale), Beschluss vom 06.08.2026, 7 B 491/25: an order on suspensive effect against a GGL prohibition, citing systematic toleration (systematische Duldung); listed as stayed.
Questions people ask
Which advertising bans did the OVG uphold?
It upheld the bans on long-form advertising programmes, free-play casino game advertising, influencer marketing, streamer advertising and affiliate partners who also promote illegal gambling.
Which advertising bans did the OVG strike?
Two. The total ban on outdoor advertising (billboards, Litfasssaeulen, public-transport vehicles) and the pre-21:00 ban at adults-only film screenings were found disproportionate.
Was this a final ruling on the licences?
The orders were interim (vorläufiger Rechtsschutz) and are described as final in the court's press release 8/2023. They did not decide a main action.
Who is involved
Plaintiffs: licensed operators of virtual slot machines and online poker
| Defendants | Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) |
|---|---|
| Claims |
|
Is there a payout?
No payout exists in this case as of 14 Nov 2026.
What happens next
No future date is on the record we hold. The case is closed on the record we hold; later appeals or enforcement steps would be added here.
Timeline
1 dated step on record, oldest first. Future dates come from court notices and can move.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 15 Jun 2023 | Judgment entered |
Documents and sources
1 primary source (court file, administrator notice, regulator) and 1 secondary. Press is supporting evidence only.
- Court document: presse.sachsen-anhalt.de
- Press coverage: datev-magazin.de
| What it supports | Source | Type | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|---|
| dates, case numbers, outcome | datev-magazin.de | secondary | 14 Nov 2026 |
| Pressemitteilung 8/2023 of 20.06.2023: on the GGL's Beschwerden the OVG changed the VG Halle orders; struck the total ban on outdoor advertising (billboards, Litfasssaeulen, public-transport vehicles) and the pre-21:00 cinema ban for adults-only screenings; upheld bans on Dauerwerbesendungen, free-play casino ads, influencer marketing, streamer advertising and affiliate partners advertising illegal gambling; final | presse.sachsen-anhalt.de | primary | 14 Nov 2026 |
Related cases
2 cases in the record share parties, claims or a settlement with this one.
| Case | Court | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit-limit enforcement deficit (OVG Magdeburg 2024) | Oberverwaltungsgericht des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt, 3. Senat | Judgment entered |
| VG Halle suspends GGL prohibition (2026) | Verwaltungsgericht Halle (Saale), 7. Kammer | Stayed |
Last checked against the sources on 14 Nov 2026. Found an error? Tell us and we correct the record with a dated note.