The uncertainty over the legal status of sports gambling in Germany is preventing action from being taken against ‘illegal’ operators, warned Germany’s sports betting association (DSWV). ‘The current suspension of the sports betting licensing process is preventing the goal of customer-orientated consumer protection, and also obviously contributes to a booming black market’, read a 8 February statement.

The release argued that it is a ‘false rhetoric’ to deem all private operators as illegal, as the Court of Justice of the European Union has already declared Germany’s state sports betting monopoly illegal. “Without a legal licence, our hands our tied”, said DSWV President Mathias Dahms, pointing out that the private sports betting companies paid €226 million in tax last year. “Otherwise, we would immediately take legal action against the illegal vendors”.