Casinos angry at regulator GGL over misleading figures
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5 Jul 2025 •
Reading time: 3 minutes German gambling watchdog GGL came out with figures for 2024. According to them, things are going pretty well. More people are playing legally, and they are said to have cracked down on quite a few illegal websites. But the casinos themselves don’t believe any of it.
GGL says the legal gambling market grew by 5 per cent, to almost €14.4 billion. Nice growth, you’d think. And they also brought in €7 billion in taxes and fees. But according to the big gambling companies, something is not right.
Illegal gambling sites continue to grow according to insiders
The GGL says the illegal gambling market is now only 3 to 4 per cent of the total. That sounds hopeful. But according to people in the industry, such as at Tipico, the real number is much higher.
Especially with online slots, half of the money would still go to illegal sites. Why? Because legal providers can pay out less due to high taxes. So those who want to gamble prefer to go to a site where you get more back.
Christian Heins of Tipico doesn’t believe anything about the figures
Christian Heins, top executive at Tipico, responded on LinkedIn. He said:
‘The GGL makes it look prettier than it is.’
According to him, the decline in illegal supply started only after January 2025. Much later, therefore, than the GGL claims.
Heins also said the figures are not fairly distributed. Everything is lumped together: poker, sports betting, lotteries and online casinos. While online slots in particular have the biggest problems. He reckons up to €2 billion is involved in illegal sites there alone.
German casinos are not the only ones in doubt
In the Netherlands, you hear the same noises. Arjan Blok of the Dutch Lottery said the gaming authority underestimates the market. The official estimate is that 100,000 Dutch people gamble illegally. But according to him, there are at least 200,000.
So it seems that in both countries, the real figures are much higher than the government says. And that creates distrust.
New task force should intervene in the Netherlands
The Dutch regulator is now doing something new. They have set up a special task force. This consists of banks, gaming companies and hosting parties. The aim is to work together to get illegal gambling sites off the air faster.
The group must come up with measures by October 2025. Only then will we really know whether this approach is effective. But the pressure is on, because the problem just keeps growing.
Why this discussion is important
We are not talking about a few euros or some small sites. We are talking about billions of euros, thousands of players, and a lot of people who could be in trouble. And if regulators keep distorting the real figures, we will get nowhere.Casinos are crying out for fairness and action. They want a market that is safe, and where everyone plays by the same rules. Because as long as illegal operators have free rein, legal businesses and players alike lose out.