GGL Calls for Stronger Direct Powers Against Illegal Gambling

Germany.- 24 September 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com Germany’s Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder, GGL, has called for stronger direct enforcement powers to combat illegal online gambling more quickly.

The regulator believes the current framework under the Glücksspielstaatsvertrag 2021, or GlüStV 2021, does not always allow authorities to respond fast enough to new business models, technologies and unlicensed operators.

Demand for Faster Decisions

GGL Co-President Ronald Benter said Germany’s regulatory system requires shorter decision-making processes.

He argues that many provisions within the interstate treaty are highly prescriptive and significant changes can require lengthy negotiations between Germany’s 16 federal states.

Illegal Market Moves Faster

The regulator’s central concern is the speed at which unlicensed businesses can adapt.

Illegal operators can:

• Change corporate structures.
• Move domains.
• Alter payment arrangements.
• Deploy new technology.
• Restructure international operations.

Such changes can occur much faster than formal regulatory reform.

Treaty Changes Can Take Years

The GlüStV 2021 operates through an agreement between all 16 German states.

As a result, some amendments require extensive political and administrative coordination.

Benter said changes can take several years even where authorities broadly agree reform is necessary.

Greater Authority for GGL

The regulator wants its Administrative Board to have stronger powers to approve operational measures directly.

The proposal would not remove the involvement of federal states but would shorten the process required before certain enforcement decisions can be implemented.

Regulatory Expertise

The GGL argues that, as Germany’s specialist gambling authority, it has the expertise required to react more rapidly.

It wants greater operational autonomy to translate that expertise into enforcement action.

Existing Enforcement Tools

The GGL already uses several measures against illegal gambling businesses.

These include:

• Prohibition orders.
• Payment blocking.
• Network blocking.
• Advertising restrictions.
• Regulatory investigations.
• Referrals to prosecutors.

Payment Blocking

Payment blocking is one of the regulator’s principal tools.

The GGL can identify financial relationships between illegal operators and payment service providers and seek to interrupt those flows.

Network Restrictions

The authority also uses procedures designed to restrict access to specified gambling services.

These measures form part of a broader enforcement system against operators without German authorisation.

Illegal Advertising

Promotion of unlicensed sites is another enforcement priority.

The GGL can intervene against advertising directing German consumers towards unauthorised gambling platforms.

Stronger Criminal Enforcement

The authority believes administrative measures should be supported by more consistent criminal enforcement.

Benter called for German prosecutors to open more cases involving people and businesses located outside the country.

Offshore Operators

A significant challenge is that many illegal operators are based abroad.

This can complicate:

• Investigations.
• Identification of responsible individuals.
• Enforcement of penalties.
• Asset recovery.
• International cooperation.

Proceedings Against Individuals

Benter argued that prosecutors should pursue more overseas-based individuals suspected of deliberately targeting German consumers without a licence.

The aim would be to increase deterrence.

Frankfurt Investigation

The GGL’s intervention follows a major investigation into an alleged illegal online gambling network linked to Frankfurt and the wider Rhine-Main region.

More than 100 officers searched 11 residential and commercial properties.

Three-Year Investigation

Authorities had investigated the case covertly for more than three years.

The operation involved:

• Frankfurt Public Prosecutor’s Office.
• Frankfurt tax investigators.
• North Rhine-Westphalia’s financial crime authority.
• Frankfurt police.

Five Suspects

Five individuals are suspected of commercially and collectively operating unlicensed online gambling platforms.

Authorities allege the operation had been active from at least July 2021.

Arrest Made

One principal suspect was arrested under a warrant.

The investigation remains ongoing and the allegations remain subject to the criminal process.

€5.86 Billion in Stakes

Prosecutors allege that the platforms processed approximately €5.86 billion in player stakes between July 2021 and the end of 2023.

The figure illustrates the potential scale of activity outside Germany’s regulated market.

Tax Loss

The suspects are also accused of failing to pay gambling taxes in full.

Authorities estimate that the tax loss for 2024 alone may have reached approximately €77.6 million.

€82 Million Asset Freeze

An asset-freezing order worth approximately €82 million was executed during the operation.

Authorities also seized high-value vehicles and froze multiple bank accounts.

GGL Support

The GGL supported prosecutors with intelligence gathered through its regulatory work.

This included information from:

• Payment-blocking cases.
• Network restrictions.
• Advertising enforcement.
• Technical investigations.
• Corporate-structure analysis.

Inter-Agency Cooperation

The regulator argues that the case demonstrates the importance of combining administrative supervision with criminal investigation.

Information sharing can help authorities identify operators, individuals and financial flows.

Consumer Warning

The GGL continues to advise consumers to use only platforms appearing on Germany’s official whitelist.

The register identifies gambling businesses authorised under the country’s regulatory framework.

Official Whitelist

The whitelist is updated at least monthly.

Online gambling businesses not appearing on the list are regarded as unauthorised under the German system.

Five Years of the GGL

The debate comes as the regulator marks five years since its establishment.

The GGL was created in 2021 before later assuming nationwide responsibility for cross-state online gambling supervision.

Around 100 Employees

The authority now has around 100 employees supervising the legal market and conducting enforcement against illegal operators.

It says Germany’s licensed online market is now largely established.

Player Protection

Alongside illegal-market enforcement, the GGL supervises requirements covering:

• Player protection.
• Advertising.
• Regulatory limits.
• Licensing.
• Compliance.
• Harm prevention.

GlüStV 2021 Under Debate

The request for greater flexibility opens a wider discussion over how the interstate treaty should evolve.

The central issue is how Germany can preserve federal coordination while also enabling faster regulatory action.

Industry Context

Germany operates one of Europe’s more tightly regulated online gambling markets.

However, competition from offshore and unlicensed platforms remains a significant challenge.

The GGL believes faster enforcement could help improve channelisation towards authorised operators.

Next Steps and Impact

Any expansion of GGL powers would require discussion among Germany’s federal states and the institutions responsible for the interstate framework.

The regulator will continue pushing for shorter procedures and greater operational flexibility.

Meanwhile, the Frankfurt investigation will progress and is likely to remain an important example of the economic and criminal scale that illegal online gambling operations can reach.

Editó: @fonta