Andreas Ditsche, CEO of iGaming and university lecturer, spoke at Gaming in Holland 2025 to denounce the risks of excessively low deposit limits. Read more about his speech and his interview with CasinoNieuws.nl.
More and more gambling regulators are imposing strict limits on online gambling deposits. But voices are beginning to be raised warning of a perverse effect: the flight of high rollers to unregulated platforms.
Among them is Andreas Ditsche, CEO of iGaming and a university professor, who warned of the counter-productive consequences of certain poorly calibrated regulations at the Gaming in Holland 2025 conference. In an interview with CasinoNieuws.nl, he went into detail about what he sees as a serious problem.
Limits designed to protect… but at what cost?
The logic behind deposit limits seems unstoppable: to prevent risky behaviour and protect vulnerable players. However, speaking at the Gaming in Holland 2025 conference, Andreas Ditsche warned against an overly rigid approach.
‘If the limits are too low, you’re not protecting high-stakes players: you’re simply driving them into the black market.’
– Dr. Andreas Ditsche
In his opinion, many so-called “high rollers”, i.e. players who bet large sums in a controlled manner, no longer find their way onto legal sites because of limits that are deemed arbitrary or inflexible. He is convinced that a relatively high limit is more effective in keeping people in the legal market, and some countries have proved it: in countries with higher gambling limits, there is a lower percentage of gambling addiction.
Germany: a case in point
Germany is one of the most restrictive countries in Europe when it comes to online gambling. Since the 2021 reform, players have been subject to a €1,000 deposit limit per month, across all operators, there is a compulsory 5-second pause between rounds, and the RTP is very low because taxes are applied to bets, which halves players’ chances of winning.
The result of these measures is a veritable explosion in illegal gambling: according to statistics shared at Gaming in Holland in 2025, 80% of revenues will go to illegal operators.
Poorly applied ethics can become dangerous
Ditsche calls for ethically effective regulation that protects players without infantilising them or driving them into digital exile.
‘Ethics is not a posture, it’s a responsibility to achieve results’.
– A. Ditsche, Gaming in Holland 2025
He also points to the disparity between political intentions and the realities on the ground. Decision-makers, often under pressure from the media, seek to show that they are acting quickly, without always assessing the long-term effects.
He also stresses that transparency and education are essential levers, often neglected in favour of coercive measures.
A migration that is difficult to counter once it has begun
Once a VIP has turned to an illegal platform, it becomes very difficult to win them back:
- They often find there more freedom, bonuses and a better player return rate (RTP).
- The identity checks and limits imposed by legal operators seem like unnecessary constraints.
- Word-of-mouth works at full speed, accentuating the desertion.
Andreas Ditsche’s message is clear: player protection cannot be achieved at the expense of channelling players towards the legal offer. He calls on regulators to adopt a data-driven, proportionate and evolutionary approach, rather than a purely defensive logic.
See Andreas Ditsche’s full speech: