Gambling Authority Reports Drop in Criminal Charges
The legal gambling market in Germany is expanding, but the shadow economy remains a persistent issue. Regulators are focusing on increased oversight, new technologies, and international cooperation to combat illegal gambling.
The number of criminal charges filed against illegal gambling providers has decreased in the past year. According to the latest activity report from the Joint Gambling Authority of the Länder (GGL), the authority filed 23 criminal charges last year, a significant drop from the 104 filed the previous year. Despite this decline, the fight against illegal gambling remains a major challenge, according to agency head Ronald Benter.
“Our measures are having an impact. Nevertheless, combating illegal offers remains challenging and requires perseverance and close cooperation with national and international partners,” said Benter.
Geo-Blocking and Google Ban Showing Results
The authority, based in Halle (Saale), initiated 231 prohibition proceedings against unauthorized providers and advertising partners last year and reviewed approximately 1,800 websites. More than 1,300 sites were made inaccessible to users in Germany through geo-blocking measures. This involves technically blocking access to illegal offers from within Germany.
Since autumn 2024, only providers licensed in Germany have been allowed to advertise on Google. This has significantly reduced the visibility of illegal offers.
Illegal Market Remains Large, Legal Gambling Grows
The market share of illegal online offers is still estimated at around 25 percent. The GGL registered more than 850 German-language gambling sites without a license. The goal is to make the business model of these providers unattractive in the long term, explained Benter.
In the legal gambling market, gross gaming revenue – i.e., the losses of players – rose to around 14.4 billion euros. This corresponds to an increase of around five percent compared to the previous year. The providers regulated by the GGL generated around four billion euros of this.
Success in Player Protection
A success in player protection was the judicial confirmation of the “Markers of Harm” – a system developed by the GGL for the early detection of problematic gambling behavior. The Mainz Administrative Court declared its use permissible.
More Control, More Cooperation Planned
For the current year, the authority announced, among other things, stronger technical monitoring and more intensive cooperation with domestic and foreign authorities.
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