Germany investigates alleged €5.86bn illegal online gambling network

The German Sports Betting Association says one case covering two and a half years should force a rethink of how the country’s black market is sized. 

The DSWV has long called for a firmer crackdown on Germany’s illegal online gambling market and for better data on its size. On 9 September 2026 the association said the scale of a Frankfurt criminal investigation raises questions about the estimates used so far.

What the prosecutors’ figure covers 

According to the Frankfurt Public Prosecutor’s Office, wagers of approximately €5.86 billion are said to have been processed through illegally operated platforms between July 2021 and the end of 2023 alone. The DSWV cited that figure in a statement welcoming the work of German authorities against the alleged operators of the sites. It refers to stakes wagered, not to what the platforms earned.

DSWV President Mathias Dahms said the investigation demonstrates the scale the illegal gambling market has now reached, and that the association strongly welcomes law enforcement agencies taking decisive action in this area. 

Dahms said:

‘Nearly six billion euros in wagers over two and a half years in a single investigation must prompt a critical review of previous assumptions about the size of the black market. If even a single case reveals such proportions, it inevitably raises the question of whether previous black market estimates realistically reflect the actual scope of the illegal market.’

The statement does not offer an alternative figure. The DSWV repeated its call for a consistent crackdown on illegal services and for data-driven monitoring of the black market.

Why it matters for player protection

Illegal operators hold no German licence, so the requirements written to protect players do not reach them. Deposit limits, player exclusions, identity verification, and other protective measures that apply in the regulated market can be circumvented on these sites.

Dahms said: 

‘Player protection only works where the rules apply and are enforced.’

He described the legal market as a key partner in delivering that protection and in curbing illegal offerings, and said regulatory authorities and licensed providers share a common goal. 

The strictest player protection rules, he added, are of no use to anyone who ends up with an illegal operator.

Germany’s last black market figure dates from 2024 

The GGL’s 2025 activity report gives no separate figure for the illegal market that year. It falls back on a published study of 2024, which put unlicensed online gambling at 23% of the market and channelisation into the legal market at 77%. 

On that basis, regulated offerings account for more than three-quarters of the online gambling market.

The post Germany investigates alleged €5.86bn illegal online gambling network appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.