Alarm over illegal gambling in Germany: CDU Deputy Dirk Herber launches inquiry amid major police operation
Recent investigations into illegal gambling in Germany confirm a growing and widespread phenomenon, with repercussions on tax revenues, public security, and the protection of minors. Against this backdrop, CDU deputy Dirk Herber has submitted a written parliamentary inquiry to the Landtag, seeking an updated and comprehensive overview of the measures taken by the regional government. His aim is twofold: to capture the evolution of the black market in recent years and to measure its economic and social damage, in order to shape more effective counter-measures.
The core of the inquiry: data, offences and links to organised crime
Herber’s text requests that the regional government provide statistical data on proceedings initiated since 2016 under Articles 284, 285, and 287 of the German Criminal Code. These provisions concern the organisation of illegal gambling, participation in such activities, and the promotion of unauthorised lotteries. The request also seeks clarification on any connections with organised crime – an issue prosecutors and investigators have long flagged as a growing risk, given the sector’s high margins and low perceived danger. Finally, the parliamentary question calls for an estimate of the annual economic losses caused by unlicensed gambling in the region.
A recent precedent: the large-scale inspection in Hesse
Political concerns are mirrored in enforcement actions. In Hesse, a major police operation mobilised around 200 officers to inspect 65 venues, including gaming halls, restaurants, kiosks, bars, and other establishments. Checks led to the identification of nearly four hundred people, the launch of five criminal proceedings, and over one hundred administrative proceedings for breaches of the Gambling Ordinance. Eleven violations of the State Treaty on Gambling and fifty-three breaches of the regional Gaming Hall Act were also recorded. The scale of this intervention highlights how land-based illegal gambling continues to exploit regulatory grey areas and gaps in local oversight.
Enforcement tools: the roles of police, prosecutors and local authorities
Herber’s inquiry also asks which concrete measures have been adopted by police forces, prosecutors, municipal public order offices and tax authorities. In practice, investigations into land-based unlicensed gambling require the coordination of inspections, seizures, administrative sanctions, fiscal audits and anti-money laundering checks. Success depends on whether these entities can act in concert, particularly in cases where a single illegal activity simultaneously infringes security regulations, tax obligations, municipal licensing rules and regional gambling laws.
The online front: GGL’s enforcement and protective measures
On the digital side, supervision falls to the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), the federal-state joint gambling authority established in 2021. Its most recent report highlights intensive enforcement activity, including hundreds of prohibition orders and systematic monitoring of websites aimed at the German market. A mix of cease-and-desist orders, payment restrictions and advertising bans has made it harder for unlicensed operators to reach German players. Notably, the adoption of behavioural risk indicators – the so-called “Markers of Harm” – has received initial judicial confirmation, reinforcing the use of objective criteria for the early detection of gambling addiction.
Legal hurdles: court rulings curb blocking measures
Online enforcement nevertheless faces significant legal hurdles. A ruling by the Federal Administrative Court restricted the possibility of imposing blocking orders on certain access providers without their own infrastructure. This has curtailed the use of IP-blocking against specific resellers, reducing the practicality of one of the GGL’s more direct tools. While this does not invalidate other levers – such as restrictions on advertising and payment flows – it forces regulators to adapt their strategy, focusing on international cooperation, pressure on intermediaries benefiting from illicit traffic, and fuller use of the Digital Services Act framework.
Politics and governance: why data and coordination matter
The political momentum is evident. The fight against illegal gambling has entered both the federal agenda and the programmes of several Länder, which are calling for stronger investigative coordination, common standards and quicker enforcement timelines. Within this context, the CDU inquiry has systemic value: without consistent data on prosecutions, sanctions and tax recoveries, it is impossible to assess the effectiveness of current policies or to channel resources where they deliver the greatest impact in terms of player protection and disruption of illicit financial flows.
From diagnosis to action
The signals coming from regional politics and law enforcement are unambiguous: illegal gambling in Germany is not a marginal issue, but a structured sector feeding real demand and fuelling parallel economies. The most effective response combines targeted enforcement on the ground, technological safeguards against unlicensed digital supply, and a coherent regulatory framework that reduces incentives to resort to the black market. The call for precise figures on prosecutions, fiscal losses and links to organised crime is the first step towards moving from perception to measurement. Only then, through cooperation between Länder and the federal government, will it be possible to set realistic objectives, monitor progress and bring gambling back within the boundaries of legality – where the protection of minors and social responsibility are not mere slogans, but verifiable standards.
This article was first published in Italian on 1 September 2025.
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