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Germany gambling regulator wants more freedom to act against unlicensed online gambling as lengthy treaty procedures leave enforcement rules trailing changes in the market.
Good to Know
- GGL executive board member Ronald Benter says treaty amendments can take several years.
- The regulator wants more authority to introduce measures with input from the federal states.
- A recent Frankfurt investigation involved around €5.86 billion in alleged unlicensed gambling stakes.
GGL Says Gambling Rules Need to Change Faster
The Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder wants greater freedom to respond to unlicensed gambling without waiting years for amendments to the Interstate Treaty on Gambling.
Ronald Benter, executive board member at the GGL, told the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung that detailed treaty rules can slow down enforcement even when the regulator and German federal states already agree on changes.
“The illegal market is very dynamic. That is why we, as an authority, have to become faster, too.”
Benter wants the GGL to make more operational decisions together with its Verwaltungsrat, which represents the federal states.
“Ultimately, we have the expertise and should therefore also be able to react faster to developments and decide on new measures.”
The request comes during the current review of GlüStV 2021. The GGL also said on September 22 that gambling products and technical structures can develop faster than the treaty framework. Around 100 employees now work at the authority five years after its creation.
€5.86 Billion Case Adds Enforcement Context
A recent Frankfurt investigation shows the scale regulators can face.
More than 100 officers searched 11 properties in the Rhine Main region on September 9. Prosecutors suspect five people of running unlicensed online gambling operations from at least July 2021.
Authorities allege the platforms processed around €5.86 billion in stakes between July 2021 and the end of 2023. Investigators also secured around €82 million in assets, while the estimated gambling tax loss for 2024 reached about €77.6 million.
The GGL welcomed the investigation and said it shares information from payment blocking, network blocking and advertising enforcement with prosecutors.
Benter also wants prosecutors to pursue people who offer unlicensed gambling to German customers from abroad. He said such criminal cases remain rare and could improve deterrence.
The post Germany GGL Wants Faster Powers Against Unlicensed Gambling appeared first on iGaming.org.