SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The Joint Gambling Authority of the Länder (GGL) has issued a statement thanking the public for its cooperation in reporting illegal gambling offerings.
In the message, the regulator explained that “these reports are an important tool for combating illegal online gambling and for tackling irregularities in permitted gambling offers on the internet.”
Data shows that since January 2023, GGL has collected over 1,500 signals from concerned members of the public, with around half of those pointing to suspected illegal online gambling. The other half are in relation to irregularities with licensed online gambling providers.
Most cases were connected to virtual slot games, online sports betting, and commercial gambling agencies.
As per the shortcomings with licensed operators, the reports were mostly related to potential “payout violations, inadmissible advertising or non-compliance with the cross-provider deposit limit”.
All alerts were submitted through a whistleblower online portal, which the regulator has set up to aid its efforts in the fight against the black market. The GGL reminded of the importance of submitting reports with as much detail as possible in order to pursue an eventual prosecution.
The message to the public was issued on Germany’s national day for gambling harm awareness, with GGL Board Member Ronald Benter adding: “This initiative is an important contribution to drawing attention to the risks of the development of gambling addiction. We have the common goal of preventing gambling and betting addiction.
“The task of the GGL is to both ensure that legal providers adhere to the strict rules for player protection and to combat illegal offers. Information from the population submitted via our whistleblower system plays an important role in this.”
