Instead, he said, people frequently develop massive debts and sacrifice marriages and relationships to feed their obsession.īlienert told the Deutsche Welle news agency opportunities to gamble are far too common in Germany, presenting temptation that many cannot resist.

In a new report, the commission says around 1.3 million adults in Germany have lives that revolve almost entirely around gambling, with them spending an average of $800 a month on their habit.Ī further 3.3 million people are close to that, but are managing to combine their gambling with slightly fuller lives.īurkhard Blienert, who heads up the commission, said as he unveiled The Gambling Atlas 2023 this week: 'Gambling rarely makes its participants happy.' Germany has a huge problem with gambling, with 4.6 million adults in the nation of 83 million addicted to it, the country's Federal Drugs Commission has reported.