A sure bet: How DCB could transform German iGaming

DIMOCO has become the first company authorised to offer direct carrier billing (DCB) in Germany’s regulated iGaming market.

DCB could transform German iGaming

SVP of Sales Bettina Sommer explains why the long wait for approval was worth it.

Back when online gambling was still called “eGaming,” payment providers were quick to spot its potential. Some went from niche players to household names almost overnight (in iGaming circles at least).

Today, the industry is far more regulated, competitive, and, many would say, safer for consumers.

Yet there are gaps – markets where players are underserved when it comes to payments. Germany is one of them.

Cracking Germany’s regulatory code

Germany is Europe’s fourth-largest iGaming market, but its payment options are narrower than in neighbouring countries. This isn’t due to a lack of innovation by operators or a reluctance among players to try new methods.

The real barrier is regulation.

The Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) must approve every payment method before it’s offered to players, and the burden falls on operators, not payment providers.

That meant we had to do more than just prove the value of our DCB solution.

We had to find an operator ready to commit to a lengthy, painstaking approval process. NEO.bet was that partner.

After a multi-year effort, DCB is live in Germany. And, with the first approval secured, other operators are already lining up to follow.

A Market on the Brink

Globally, DCB hasn’t yet rivalled cards, wallets, or account-to-account (A2A) transfers. According to Worldpay’s Global Payments Report 2025, Finland is the only market where it holds a meaningful share (3%).

But, given the characteristics of its iGaming market and the behaviour of its consumers, Germany could be different.

Its gambling market grew 5% last year to €14.4bn, with the online segment surging 15% to €3.5bn.

Those numbers exclude the sizeable black market on unlicensed sites, which some insiders believe is even larger than the GGL’s 25% estimate.

The GGL is working hard to change this. In 2024 alone, it blocked 459 illegal gambling sites, geo-blocked another 657, and persuaded 43 payment providers to sever ties with black-market operators.

This is good news for regulated brands – and for payment providers like DIMOCO.

Licensed operators now have an opportunity to stand out, and offering DCB could become a powerful point of differentiation.

A close cultural fit

Germany’s payment culture makes it an ideal market for DCB. Despite being a tech-savvy country, cash still accounts for 35% of all point-of-sale transactions.

For small-ticket purchases like parking or public transport, carrier billing has already become popular.

The launch of Zahl einfach per Handyrechnung (“Simply Pay by Mobile Bill”) – a joint venture between Germany’s mobile operators – shows the appetite is there.

In online gambling, Germans haven’t followed the path of other European markets, where players moved from cash to cards. Instead, they’ve embraced wallets and A2A transfers.

Adding DCB offers something genuinely new: instant, private, mobile-first payments that don’t require sharing personal data.

With one of the highest smartphone penetration rates globally – and the GSMA predicting Germany will lead Europe in smartphone connections by 2030 – the conditions are perfect.

Lessons from a near neighbour

Austria, a market with similar payment habits, shows what’s possible. DIMOCO has supported carrier billing there for years, and one major partner sees DCB as its third most popular method out of 20.

In Germany, with fewer options available, DCB could do even better. It’s a simple way for regulated operators to differentiate themselves, giving players a smooth, anonymous payment experience.

Betting big on regulation

Breaking into Germany wasn’t easy. Navigating regulations took time and patience, but the payoff is clear: with a regulatory framework now in place, adoption will accelerate.

Germany’s combination of strict oversight, high mobile usage, and privacy-conscious consumers creates fertile ground for disruption. DCB isn’t just another payment option; it could redefine the iGaming experience.

For operators, this is a chance to win loyalty with payments that feel natural and secure.

For DIMOCO, it’s proof that persistence pays—and that smart bets on regulatory-heavy markets can deliver a serious edge.