German law enforcement has raided an alleged illegal online gambling operation suspected of handling wagers worth approximately €5.86 billion over 30 months, while investigators examine potential tax losses of €77.6 million.
The Frankfurt public prosecutor’s office, Frankfurt’s tax investigation unit, the State Office for the Combat of Financial Crime in North Rhine-Westphalia and Frankfurt police searched 11 premises on Tuesday. More than 100 officers took part.
Authorities seized several high-value vehicles, froze numerous bank accounts and imposed an asset restraint order valued at about €82 million. An arrest warrant was also executed.
Prosecutors allege that five suspects operated internet-based gambling services without the required German licences from at least July 2021. The platforms are suspected of taking more than €5.8 billion in bets between mid-2021 and the end of 2023.
Investigators are also examining suspected tax evasion. The projected tax shortfall for 2024 is approximately €77.6 million.
DSWV links raid to player protection risks
The DSWV, which represents licensed sports-betting operators, welcomed the action and described it as an important response to the expansion of Germany’s illegal gambling market.
“This successful investigation clearly demonstrates the scale that the illegal gambling market has now reached,” said Mathias Dahms, president of the DSWV.
Dahms said unlicensed operators create significant risks for player protection and the integrity of the regulated market. He pointed to the lack of safeguards including deposit limits, identity checks and player suspension tools.
He called for sustained enforcement alongside strict regulation, arguing that consumer protection depends on both suppressing illegal services and reinforcing legal ones. “Anyone who wants to strengthen player protection must therefore consistently crack down on illegal services and strengthen legal ones,” Dahms said.
The DSWV said the investigation should lead to a detailed reassessment of official estimates for the size of Germany’s black market.
DOCV renews call for federal online casino licensing
The DOCV, which represents licensed online casino operators, also backed the prosecution’s action. It said the scale of the raid highlighted regulatory weaknesses that had enabled organised crime to expand.
Kevin O’Neal, a DOCV board member, said the findings raised questions about the GGL’s wider estimates of illegal market activity. The GGL’s 2025 activity report put the 2024 share at 23%, equivalent to €547 million in gross gaming revenue, while Nielsen data indicated a share of around 56%.
The DOCV has repeatedly criticised the gap between the GGL’s channelisation estimates and those produced by independent reviewers. It again called for a single federal licensing system for online casino games and stronger measures against unlicensed operators.
The group said the ongoing review of the Interstate Treaty on Gambling, scheduled to conclude by the end of this year, should establish nationwide licensing for online casino games. German regulators also decided in July to remove the €1 staking limit on online slots, indicating that the framework is being reconsidered ahead of the treaty review.
