Gaming in Germany has confirmed the first 13 speakers for its 2026 conference, set for Tuesday, 10 November at the DoubleTree by Hilton Berlin Ku’damm, with the evaluation of the 2021 Interstate Treaty on Gambling (GlüStv 2021) heading the agenda.
The event brings together regulators, operators, lawyers and trade-body heads working in Germany’s licensed iGaming market. Registration is open, and the organiser is still taking submissions for presentations and breakout sessions.
Who is on the confirmed list
The line-up puts regulatory and trade-body figures alongside operators and legal specialists. A senior representative of the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), Germany’s national gambling regulator, is confirmed to attend. Two trade-body presidents join them: Mathias Dahms of the German Sports Betting Association (DSWV) and Dr. Dirk Quermann of the German Online Casino Association (DOCV).
Operator and supplier representation comes from Dr. Damir Boehm, CEO of Tipwin, and Vasiliki Panousi, regulatory affairs senior manager at Kaizen. Legal expertise is heavy on the bill: Dr. Joerg Hofmann, senior partner at Melchers Law Firm, and his colleague Dr. Nepomuk Nothelfer, who is also an associate professor at the University of Agder; Dr. Christian Rapani of Rapani Rechtsanwälte; and Dr. Christian Piska, a professor at the University of Vienna’s law faculty.
The rest of the panel covers data and advisory work. Josh Hodgson, COO of H2 Gambling Capital, is confirmed, as is Birgitte Sand, CEO of Birgitte Sand & Associates. Christian Heins, founder of the German Gambling Gathering, and Mohamed Messaoudi, director of digital vault product at Docaposte’s Trust & Sign unit, round out the announced speakers.
The GlüStv 2021 review tops the agenda
The centrepiece of the agenda is the ongoing evaluation of GlüStv 2021. The treaty took effect in 2021 and legalised online slots and poker under a national licensing system now overseen by the GGL. The review carries weight for the whole sector because its findings will shape any revision of the framework, including licence conditions, product rules and advertising limits.
The programme also examines the current and future permissibility of newer products, including prediction betting, sweepstakes and eSports betting. These sit in a grey zone under the current treaty, and how regulators treat them will decide whether licensed operators can offer them or cede the ground to offshore sites. Germany’s online casino market recorded €4.6 billion in virtual slot wagers in 2025, a figure that shows what licensed operators stand to lose to unlicensed rivals.
Austria and the offshore question
The conference extends beyond Germany. Two sessions address the future of the remaining gambling monopolies in Germany and Austria, and market re-regulation in Austria. Vienna is moving toward opening its market, with a leaked draft law pointing to the end of the state monopoly, which makes the Austrian legal representation on the panel timely.
A further strand covers strategies for countering offshore offerings and the organiser’s #ReclaimTheMarket push for licensed operators. Channelling players away from unlicensed sites remains the central problem for regulated markets across Europe, where unregulated online gambling handle reached $5.9 trillion in 2025 by one industry estimate.
Organiser’s view
Gaming in Germany founder Willem van Oort said the early line-up reflects the regulatory stakes of the 2026 edition.
I am extremely pleased with this year’s speaker lineup. We are undeniably bringing an impressive amount of expertise to the stage, including, of course, a significant amount of business and regulatory experience. Since we will be discussing, among other things, the outcome of the evaluation of the GlüStv 2021, something that is highly relevant to the entire sector, I am very glad about the amount of thought leadership that we have managed to bring together so far.
The organiser is still seeking speakers on business topics such as media and marketing, affiliation, compliance and operations, and interested parties can contact van Oort directly. Alongside the programme, the conference offers networking during coffee breaks, lunch and closing drinks.
With the speaker list only partly filled and the GlüStv 2021 evaluation still running, the November event will land at the point where Germany decides how far to revise its licensing regime and whether Austria follows through on opening its market.
Registration for the event is now open. Click here to register.
Source: Gaming in Germany
