Gambling vs Gaming: Huge Spending, No License

By

Denitsa Lyutskanova

Denitsa Lyutskanova Chief Editor

Denitsa Lyutskanova is the Head of Content at iGaming.com and a passionate advocate for Safer Gambling. With over a decade of experience in digital marketing, she has been with the company since 2011, working across 20+ markets. Denitsa leads a growing team of 30+ talented content writers and editors, driving impactful content strategies while promoting responsible gaming practices.

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· Chief Editor Last Updated: October 2, 2026

2 min read

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The conversation is in German with English captions on screen.

In Germany, a casino operator needs a license to take a €1 bet. A video game needs none, even when players spend thousands a month. That gap matters, because in-game spending can grow without anyone noticing.

This contrast is at the center of a conversation between iGaming.com CEO Prof. Dr. Andreas Ditsche and Alex Ganz, a systemic coach for digital addictions. They look at what players spend in popular games and why that spending faces almost no rules.

Ganz knows both industries from the inside. He brought major games manufacturers to Europe, helped build up PlayStation, and later recruited staff for gaming and gambling companies. Today, he coaches people affected by digital addiction, where the markers of harm can stay hidden for a long time.

Where Gambling and Gaming Rules Part Ways

“In gaming, you don’t need a license,” Ganz says. Gambling is different. Operators need a license, and licensed sites offer deposit and time limits.

Licensed online gambling in Germany has a €1,000 monthly deposit cap across all operators. That does not apply to gaming.

Ganz gives three examples from memory:

• World of Tanks: “I think you can put in unlimited amounts.”
• Goodgame Empire: “They had people who put over €500,000 into it.”
• Metin2: Players bought digital New Year’s Eve fireworks, “I think for €2 million or so in total.”

Ditsche finds the imbalance striking. He sums gaming up as “great reputation, state-funded, a job-creation machine, and basically no regulation.”

Hear the Full Conversation

Watch the full interview with Alex Ganz on our YouTube channel. He explains how he coaches people through digital addiction and why gaming and gambling share many of the same mechanisms.

If gambling feels out of control, you are not alone, and help is available. Talk it through with our AI support chat. You can also browse the safer gambling tool guides for details about limits, cool-offs, and self-exclusion.