The Federal Ministry of Finance publishes the tax revenues of the federal and state governments at regular intervals. It is interesting to note that the revenue from the virtual vending machine tax in May 2024 is disappointingly low compared to the same period last year. Some time ago, a considerable tax increase was forecast in this area.
The fight against illegal gambling activities is a rather costly affair. The final report by the State Office of Criminal Investigation in North Rhine-Westphalia, which is available to the Rheinische Post, reveals that the authorities lack "equipment and technical expertise" in this matter. According to the report, unauthorised gaming machines cost the state millions every year. The record for a single illegally installed machine is a turnover of 423,000 euros per year. Well-organised clans are often the string-pullers.
The Munich-based sports channel SPORT1 has been a partner of the Italian betting provider HAPPYBET for several weeks now. This also marks the launch of what is officially called the "newly designed gambling offer 'HAPPYBET - Partner of SPORT1'". What is this all about and what can we expect from the collaboration?
The lottery actually makes millionaires much more often than is generally believed: every year in Germany alone, more than 100 people are delighted to receive a seven-figure sum from the country's most popular game of chance. However, the prize won by a Duisburg resident on 9 July stands out clearly. He now has almost 100 million euros, believe it or not!
The first comprehensive evaluation of the 2021 State Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV) is planned for 2026. The interim report announced in spring 2024 has now been published. Among other things, it contains urgent areas for action. This naturally raises the question of whether significant changes to the current regulatory requirements are to be expected and whether the German gambling landscape may even become more attractive in the foreseeable future?
Gambling is an exciting thing: for most gamblers, it's not just about the chance to win (big) prizes, but also about the thrill of (working towards) success. This thrill was recently the undoing of a man in a Singapore casino. After he had managed to hit a jackpot worth millions, he collapsed: Heart attack. To make matters worse, bystanders filmed the incident and posted the videos on the internet.
It is well known that financially strong partners are in great demand in football. Even the DFB Cup is apparently no exception. The German Football Association recently announced a new partner - and it actually comes from the sports betting industry: Tipico will support the association and the tournament in both the men's and women's competitions until 2026 and will be allowed to be present at the matches and other related events. Not everyone likes that.
Betting providers are always working with well-known personalities to present their brands in a positive light. Professional athletes or other sports-related celebrities are naturally particularly favoured. sportwetten.de also wants to play the celebrity card in its favour. However, with Robert Geiss as a partner, they seem to be pursuing a slightly different strategy: Instead of sporting expertise, wealth and lifestyle are likely to be the arguments that count here.
With the upcoming Olympic Games and two major international football tournaments, FIFA President Gianni Infantino used an event in honour of Pelé to remind players to "honour the game". He made the association's position on betting offences clear. Misdemeanours would not be tolerated under any circumstances.
The European Football Championship is in full swing - and a clear winner is already emerging: the sports betting industry association DSWV is predicting enormous turnover. We are talking about no less than 1 billion euros! In addition, they want to use the event as an opportunity to take market share away from illegal providers.
The round of 16 of the European Football Championship is over and the last teams have to play in the knockout phase starting this Friday. But which of the remaining eight teams in the tournament has the best chance of becoming European champions in 2024? A look at the current betting odds reveals that it's a neck-and-neck race.
A few months ago, the Swedish regulatory authority (Spelinspektionen) criticised the fact that the payment service provider Zimpler, also from Sweden, was repeatedly cooperating with offshore casinos. It was even threatened with a fine in the millions. The sanctions are off the table, but the case is not yet closed. Here is the full story.
Sports betting and betting providers are now omnipresent in the NBA. Hardly any other North American league incorporates such offers into its game operations to the same extent as the top basketball association in the USA. Several unusually high tips on certain player bets have now come to light, in which the professional in question is said to have been involved. Experts do not see this as an isolated case, but rather a far-reaching problem in which the strong connection between sport and sports betting could not be unconnected.
Casinos have been banned in Brazil for many decades and gambling is generally regarded as morally reprehensible. Recently, however, there has (once again) been movement in the "old order". Sports betting has been allowed to be officially brokered under certain conditions since 2018. Online casinos are a legal grey area. A draft bill has been submitted for the legalisation of terrestrial casinos. The liberalisation of such offers is expected to bring considerable benefits for tourism.
The "crypto hype" was predicted many years ago. Recently, however, German enthusiasm for cryptocurrencies has remained limited. According to Statista, just 13% of Germans use or own cryptocurrencies. However, the proportion has risen by 4% in the last two years. So will players in online casinos be able to make payments with cryptocurrencies in the foreseeable future?