German Regulator: Illegal Operators Control 25% of the Online Gambling Market

Germany’s national gambling regulator (GGL) has published its 2024 annual activity report. According to the data, the German gambling sector generated €14.4 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR*) last year, a 5% increase compared to 2023.

Licensed operators under the GGL brought in around €4 billion, meaning the legal market accounts for 28% of the total.

The regulator identified 858 German-language gambling websites operating illegally. GGL estimates that the size of the unlicensed German-language online gambling market ranges between €500–600 million. As a result, unlicensed operators represent approximately 25% of the overall German online gambling market.

In 2024, the regulator undertook a series of successful actions against illegal gambling offerings. A total of 231 cases were launched to restrict access to unlicensed platforms, and over 1,700 websites were reviewed — 1,107 of them were blocked.

The GGL also highlighted the success of an initiative involving Google, which since September 2024 has only allowed licensed operators to advertise via Google Ads in Germany.

In 2024, government tax revenues from the gambling industry amounted to approximately €7 billion.

*GGR (Gross Gaming Revenue) is a financial metric used to assess gambling revenue. It is calculated as the total amount wagered minus the total amount paid out in winnings.