The 2025 national gambling survey in Germany shows that the overall gambling participation rate has remained stable since 2021, with 36.4% of respondents reporting that they had participated in at least one paid gambling activity in the past 12 months. However, high-risk groups are still prominent, especially among young men, multi-product users, and those who participate both online and offline. In plain terms, most people gamble for fun, but a small number are deeply entrenched.
Participation and Risk: 2.2% of adults meet the criteria for gambling disorder
The survey, conducted through a mix of telephone interviews and online panels, collected 12,340 valid responses. Male participation rate (40.4%) was higher than female (32.4%), and participation increased with age, with the 56-70 age group reaching 40.3%. 11.7% of respondents gambled at least once a week. According to DSM-5 criteria, 2.2% of adults aged 18-70 meet the criteria for gambling disorder, with an additional 5.5% classified as "high risk." Median monthly expenditure increases with problem severity: non-problematic gamblers spend 30 euros, high-risk gamblers 55 euros, and mild to moderate problem gamblers 150-160 euros. Online slot players have the highest disorder rate at 32.5%, followed by physical slot machines at 23.4%, and live sports betting at 27%.
Cognitive distortions and new products: 63.7% of day traders also gamble
The Gamblers' Belief Questionnaire shows that erroneous beliefs (such as the illusion of control) are strongly related to the severity of the problem, with players who engage in four or more types of games scoring almost twice as much as those who play a single game. The survey assessed short-term financial trading for the first time, finding that 6.5% of respondents had engaged in day trading in the past year (9.2% men, 3.6% women). Among frequent day traders, 63.7% also participated in gambling, with 12.1% meeting the criteria for gambling disorder, indicating an overlap in behavior between speculative financial trading and gambling. Germany's national OASIS self-exclusion registry for gambling has nearly 350,000 registered users in four years.
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