Only one in twelve German betting websites is legal, warns the German Sports Betting Association (DSWV) at the start of the UEFA Champions League season: there are at least 382 illegal German-language websites offering sports betting compared to just 34 legal betting sites. The DSWV refers to a corresponding evaluation by the Joint Gambling Authority of the federal states (GGL) for the year 2024.

“Online, it’s 11:1 in favor of the black market and that puts players at risk. In the legal sports betting market, players benefit from guaranteed player protection, reliable payouts and tax revenue for the common good. Illegal providers in the black market, on the other hand, do not adhere to any rules, offer no security and have a higher risk of gambling addiction,” Mathias Dahms, President of the German Sports Betting Association (DSWV), said.

With the start of the UEFA Champions League, the second most-bet competition in Germany after the Bundesliga, the volume of betting has skyrocketed.

“Players need to be particularly vigilant at this time of year so that they don’t accidentally end up with illegal providers. This is another reason why it is important that the legal providers are present with perimeter boards and TV advertising during the Champions League matches,” Dahms said.

What many players do not know is that they are not only taking a higher risk, but are also liable to prosecution. Participating in unauthorized sports betting can result in a prison sentence of up to six months or a fine.

How to recognise legal betting providers:

• Only legal providers may advertise on stadium boards and on television during sporting events such as the Champions League or Bundesliga.

• Only providers on the GGL whitelist are legal in Germany. The list is publicly available at www.gluecksspiel-behoerde.de/whitelist.

• Legal providers have a clearly visible GGL permit logo on their website.

• Only legal providers offer comprehensive player protection measures such as deposit limits, player bans and monitoring of conspicuous gaming behavior.

• Only legal providers contribute to the funding of support services for gamblers at risk of gambling addiction, such as the anonymous and free hotline 0800-1372700 or the website check-dein-spiel.de of the Federal Institute of Public Health (BIÖG).

• With legal providers, payouts are guaranteed and the stakes are properly taxed.

“It is in the common interest of regulators, providers and players to strengthen the legal market and push back the black market. This is the only way to ensure player protection, integrity and tax revenues,” Dahms said.