Illegal betting share in Germany and GGL's statements

Germany was one of the most closely watched betting markets in Europe last year. However, that attention came for negative reasons. At the 2025 conference, the weakness of the licensed offering, damage to the regulatory authority, and a pending regulatory framework were raised. One year later, the conference has met again in Berlin, and the review process of GlüStV 2021, the legal status of prediction markets entering Europe, and the debate between Meta and the licensed sector are being addressed.

Nadja Wierzejewski from GGL's supervision unit said in her opening speech that the licensed sector and the regulator are aligned on the goal of a sustainable and regulated market. However, there are also differences of opinion. One of them concerns estimates of the size of the black market. Wierzejewski said GGL's figures are close to the Euromat report, and that this report puts illegal betting at 25 percent of the total market. GGL had also announced that this year the licensed channelization rate is approximately 77 percent.

Both sides agree that the black market poses a risk to players. Wierzejewski said that choosing the illegal market is often portrayed as a conscious choice, whereas many players are not aware of the situation. She also said that players, referring to the well-known logo of Merkur Group, believe that if there is a sun, it is legal. Wierzejewski stated that some regulatory measures GGL uses against illegal operators, such as its power to block payments, are starting to produce positive results.