New regulations for German players

From July 2021, some changes will come to effect for all players based in Germany.

What's changing?

In line with new regulations, the use of payment methods and the taxes applied for gambling will change. Here's what to expect:

• There will be a new www.pokerstars.de website specifically for players in Germany.
• Payment method verification: Players will need to verify the ownership of each new payment method before using them for depositing with us. If a certain payment method wasn't verified yet, players need to verify it at the withdrawal stage.
• Cards cannot be shared: Payment methods such as Mastercard and Maestro cannot be shared by players. Each player can only use cards registered under their name.
• Anonymous deposit methods aren't allowed: Players using anonymous payment methods like Paysafecard will need to create a 'my paysafecard' account to continue using our services.
• Rapid Transfer, Payz, Trustly, and Giropay will be removed as payment methods from June 28
• New tax for cash buy-ins: A 5.3% tax will be applied on all cash buy-ins.

When do I need to verify my payment account?

We'll ask you for proof of ownership in these two situations:

• Before making your first deposit with a new and unverified payment method.
• Before making a withdrawal with a new and unverified payment method.

Once you verify a payment method, you won’t need to send any extra documents for the purpose of verifying that method.

To know more about how to verify your payment method click here.

What payment methods can I use?

You can use different deposit and withdrawal methods in Germany such as:

• Cards: Mastercard and Maestro
• Online bank transfers: Sofort
• e-wallets: Skrill, NETELLER or MuchBetter

To see all payment methods available for Germany access this page and select "Germany" from the drop-down menu.

To know more in-depth information about these changes you can read this article on our blog.