German gambling watchdog starts to clean house with public input

Germany’s gambling regulator, the GGL, has been able to crack down on 60 gambling operators that have been operating in the country without a license. The information was shared by the regulator itself, with the GGL confirming that it has been able to go after unlicensed companies in the past nine months.

The GGL thanks the public for its support

This, though, has been facilitated by the continuous public and private input from various parties that have flagged illegal operators. Since the beginning of 2023, the GGL has received and processed roughly 1,500 reports about illegal gambling, with this type of community involvement helping steer the regulatory efforts more efficiently.

The GGL has even published a step-by-step guide to help people – especially consumers – inform the regulator about the existence of illegal gambling websites. The guide though also teaches people how to spot the signs of an entire ecosystem of unregulated gambling operations, such as advertising or payment processors.

The GGL insists that the whistleblower system works, as attested by Board Member Ronald Benter who has argued that this is an important opportunity for people to get involved and raise awareness among the public about gambling-related harm.

"We have the common goal of preventing gambling and betting addiction," a translated statement from Beter said.

In this regard, the GGL is not unlike the Australian Communications and Media Authority which has been operating on a similar premise, by co-opting citizens and consumers to help the watchdog detect and then act against unauthorized gambling companies.

Cleaning the Augean stables of the unlicensed gambling market

The GGL has had its hands full, with the regulator reporting that it had reviewed 1,860 websites and 438 gaming providers since it began receiving such alerts. There have been 133 prohibition hearings so far, with a total of 63 unlicensed companies ousted from the market, the bulk of which took place this year.

The GGL remains committed to ensuring that there are strict player protection rules and laws in place, Benter added, and argued that information is an important tool to help steer the watchdog’s efforts in keeping the industry safe.

The GGL similarly maintains a whitelist where consumers can go for a reference as to what websites and operators are currently licensed and allowed to operate in the regulated gambling market in Germany.

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