Combating illegal gambling in Germany was the focus of the Deutsche Automatenwirtschaft congress in Berlin. The German authority Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder board member Ronald Benter stressed the need for clear regulatory frameworks. He sees a need for action, particularly in IP blocking and law enforcement.

  • Benter called for stricter legal frameworks for combating illegal gambling. He emphasized the need to expand IP blocking measures to also target advertising for illegal providers. A new regulation would help facilitate enforcement.

  • He expressed concerns over the planned repeal of § 284 of the German Criminal Code (StGB), which could create a legal loophole. Instead, he advocated for expanding the law to cover illegal operators based abroad. This would enable the establishment of a special prosecution office in Halle and improve legal enforcement.

  • GGL is working to balance an attractive legal gambling market with effective player protection. The organization is particularly focused on cracking down on illegal advertising. Major platforms like Google have already been required to restrict ads to licensed providers.

  • Despite enforcement successes, illegal operators continue to develop new strategies to bypass advertising restrictions. Comparison portals use techniques like cloaking to remain visible. GGL sees further regulatory action as necessary in this area.

  • A ruling from the German Federal Administrative Court confirmed GGL’s stance on gambling advertising regulations. The authority will continue to crack down on unauthorized advertising to ensure fair competition among legal operators.

  • A study commissioned by GGL is examining whether current advertising regulations under the German Gambling Treaty (GlüStV 2021) are effective. The goal is to promote legal gambling offerings without attracting previously uninterested or vulnerable individuals.

  • According to GGL the fight against illegal gambling remains a long-term challenge requiring close international cooperation. Along with effective enforcement tools, unified regulations are essential to protect both operators and players.

Find more news here www.ogqnews.com/category/news/ and find the OGQ Data Magazine via www.quarterly.og-q.com