Up against Underground Casinos: Germany's New Fight against Illicit Gambling
Federal Action Against Unlawful Betting Gains Support: Industry Welcomes Decision
By Timm Schaffner*Edited by Angela Burke** Published on: 10.04.2025. Updated on: 24.04.2025.
In a surprising move, Germany's new ruling parties - CDU, CSU, and SPD - have decided to tackle the issue of illegal gambling, as stated in their recently finalized coalition agreement. This 144-page document is now publicly accessible online.
Catching the attention of the German gambling community, the new Grand Coalition explicitly declared they would strengthen efforts to combat illegal gambling, marking a change from their previous party programs that had ignored this issue. The German Automated Vending Association (DAW) spokesperson Georg Stecker described this move as a much-needed step in the media.
Underground Games under the Spotlight
The coalition agreement's emphasis on combating illegal gambling comes as a surprise, as none of the incoming parties had addressed gambling-related matters in their party programs. It's speculated that the high-profile police raid in Berlin, where around 800 officers searched 400 suspicious locations and seized over 160 illegal gaming devices, could have influenced this decision.
Berlin's law enforcement established a specialized task force targeting proceeds from organized crime instead of imposing fines. The city anticipates millions in revenue from this, while simultaneously dismantling the criminal networks exploiting illegal gambling. However, it's essential to note that whether the Berlin raid directly led to the inclusion in the coalition agreement remains uncertain.
Seeking Industry Collaboration
The game industry finds the new government's stance on illegal gambling as a promising sign; however, they call for more specifics. Georg Stecker advocates for "smart regulation" to align the legal offer with consumer demand. The recent developments in Austria present a warning: sudden increases in taxes on sports betting stakes, criticized by industry representative Monika Racek, could have adverse effects. To avoid such errors, collaboration between politics and the industry is crucial to better comprehend market trends.
Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Enrichment Data:- The German coalition agreement's inclusion of measures against illegal gambling does not appear to be directly linked to a specific Berlin raid based on the available information. The coalition pact, finalized on 9 April 2025, emphasized collaboration with federal states to address illegal gambling as part of broader economic reforms[1][2]. While the agreement acknowledges the need to combat illegal operators, the provided search results do not mention any recent Berlin raids as the catalyst for this decision.- The German Sports Betting Association (DSWV) welcomed the commitment and proposed five measures to strengthen enforcement, including specialized investigative authorities and tracking financial flows[2][5]. These recommendations focus on systemic improvements instead of reactive responses to specific events. The coalition's broader goals of economic revitalization and regulatory harmonization appear to be the primary drivers behind the inclusion of anti-illegal gambling measures[1][3]. No search results reference a recent raid as a catalyst for the policy shift.
- The new German coalition (CDU, CSU, and SPD) announced a move to combat illegal gambling, as outlined in their recently finalized coalition agreement.
- Georg Stecker, spokesperson for the German Automated Vending Association (DAW), described this move as a much-needed step, signifying a change from the parties' previous approaches to gambling.
- It's unclear whether the high-profile Berlin police raid, involving 800 officers and the seizure of over 160 illegal gaming devices, directly influenced the decision to address illegal gambling in the coalition agreement.
- The game industry welcomes the new government's stance but calls for more specific regulations to align with consumer demand, citing recent developments in Austria as a warning against hasty and potentially harmful tax increases on sports betting.
- Collaboration between politics and the industry is considered essential to better understand market trends and avoid negative consequences in the fight against illegal gambling.
