German authorities conducted searches related to a suspected illicit online gambling operation that allegedly took in around €5.86 billion over a 30-month span. This prompted trade groups DSWV and DOCV to request revisions to the GGL's channelization estimates.
According to reports from the German Press, the operation was organized on Tuesday by the public prosecutor of Frankfurt, along with the Frankfurt tax investigation unit, the North Rhine-Westphalia Office for the Fight Against Financial Crime, and the Frankfurt police. The raid involved over 100 law enforcement officers targeting 11 locations.
During the operation, multiple luxury vehicles were seized and bank accounts were frozen, along with an asset seizure order amounting to approximately €82 million. Authorities also executed an arrest warrant.
The investigation suggests that five individuals have been providing unauthorized online gambling services in Germany since July 2021, with total bets placed on their platforms exceeding €5.8 billion from 2021 to 2023. Additionally, there are concerns regarding significant potential tax evasion, estimated at approximately €77.7 million for the 2024 tax period.
The DSWV, which represents legal bookmakers, backed the operations as evidence of the substantial illegal market. Mathias Dahms, president of DSWV, remarked, "This successful investigation clearly demonstrates the scale that the illegal gambling market has now reached."
