Authorities in Germany have conducted searches concerning a suspected illegal online gambling operation that allegedly accepted bets totaling around €5.86 billion over a 30-month span. This revelation has prompted trade organizations DSWV and DOCV to call for a reevaluation of the GGL’s estimates related to the legal gambling sector.
As reported in the German Press, a coordinated effort involving the public prosecutor’s office in Frankfurt, the tax investigation unit in Frankfurt, the North Rhine-Westphalia Office for the Fight Against Financial Crime, and the police department in Frankfurt led to actions taken at 11 different locations on Tuesday.
The operation involved more than 100 officers and resulted in the seizure of multiple high-value vehicles, the freezing of bank accounts, and the issuance of an asset seizure order amounting to approximately €82 million. Additionally, an arrest warrant was executed by the police during these operations.
Authorities suspect that five individuals have been operating unauthorized online gambling services in Germany since July 2021, with their platforms generating over €5.8 billion in wagers between 2021 and 2023. There are also suspicions of significant tax evasion, with an estimated tax shortfall for 2024 anticipated to be around €77.7 million.
The DSWV, which represents legal bookmakers in Germany, expressed support for the investigation, indicating its significance for understanding the scale of illegal gambling in the country. Mathias Dahms, president of DSWV, highlighted the findings, stating, "This successful investigation clearly demonstrates the scale that the illegal gambling market has now reached.",
