Leading payment provider DIMOCO has become the first authorised provider of carrier billing to the regulated igaming industry in Germany, with NEO.bet set to be the first operator to offer the payment option in the country.
DIMOCO already provides the mobile payment method to sportsbooks in Poland and Austria, with its clients including leading Polish sports betting company STS. To enter the igaming market in Germany, it joined forces with NEO.bet parent company Greenvest Betting Limited to apply to the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) for approval.
DIMOCO is licensed by Austria’s Financial Markets Authority and has pioneered a model whereby mobile network operators (MNOs) act as its agents, meaning they are able to accept payments outside what’s usually permitted under EU regulations. Under this agent model, DIMOCO is responsible for compliance and carries out the KYC process on bettors for igaming companies.
Now DIMOCO’s model has received official accreditation from the GGL, licensed German sports betting and casino operators will be able to accept carrier billing payments up to standard player limits.
“We are honoured to have received official approval for our unique offering from the GGL and this recognition reinforces our dedication to providing secure and efficient payment solutions for the rapidly evolving German igaming industry,” said Bettina Sommer, Senior Vice-President of Sales at DIMOCO.
“Based on our experience in other European countries, we believe the addition of direct carrier billing will be very welcome in Germany, particularly given the country’s extremely high level of smartphone penetration. Germans are known for favouring alternative methods of payment over credit and debit cards, and also for preferring simplified payment systems. Therefore, we expect the option to pay seamlessly from their mobile account to be very popular among players.
In addition, due to the stringent requirements of both the GGL and mobile network operators, carrier billing will only be available to licensed operators. We therefore view it as something that could give regulated sportsbooks and casinos an advantage against unlicensed companies, which both the regulator and the government have expressed a desire to expel from the German market.”
Galina Werner, Managing Director at Greenvest Betting Limited, said: “We are excited that NEO.bet will be the first sports betting provider in Germany to offer carrier billing. The process of gaining approval from the GGL was lengthy and rigorous and DIMOCO proved the ideal partner to help us navigate this. We look forward to working together now this promising new payment option is authorised.”
According to a report published by the European Gaming & Betting Association in March, Germany is Europe’s fourth-largest igaming market by gross gaming revenues. Mobile network operator association GSMA lists Germany as one of the pioneers of 5G mobile technology, and expects the country to have the highest number of smartphone connections in Europe by 2030, estimating these will reach 111m. In 2024, it had a mobile subscriber penetration rate of 87% and a smartphone adoption rate of 83%.
