The Joint Gambling Authority of the States (GGL) in Germany has expressed gratitude for the public's ongoing support in identifying illegal gambling activities and irregularities within legal gambling offerings.
This acknowledgement came alongside the nationwide action day against gambling addiction, an initiative designed to raise awareness about gambling addiction risks.
Since 1 January 2023, the GGL has received approximately 1,500 reports through its whistleblower system. These reports were evenly split between suspected illegal online gambling cases and potential irregularities with legal online gambling providers.
Commenting on these developments, GGL Board Member Ronald Benter stated: "This initiative is an important contribution to raising awareness of the risks of developing gambling addiction.
"The GGL's job is to ensure that legal providers adhere to the strict rules on player protection and to combat illegal offers. Information from the public submitted via our whistleblower system plays an important role in this."
The authority's efforts, bolstered by public tips, have led to significant actions. The GGL investigated over 1,860 websites in 2023, for example, as well as investigating 438 gaming providers and advertisers.
In total, these investigations resulted in 133 prohibition proceedings and 63 providers of illegal online gambling ceasing operations or stopping their advertising.
The authority did note, however, that a large proportion of reports currently lack sufficient evidence for a thorough investigation. To address this, the GGL has published a guide on its website to help whistleblowers provide more meaningful and actionable information.
Commenting on this, Benter said: "Please use our whistleblower system, report violations and provide as much detail and specific information as possible. Your information is an important tool for us in the fight against illegal gambling on the Internet and in ensuring player protection."
