German Gambling Operators Demand Answers After 10-Hour System Outage
A 10-hour system outage on Saturday left German gambling operators unable to process deposits. The failure, linked to the Interstate Gambling Evaluation System (LUGAS), raised concerns about player migration to the black market. Operators are now demanding answers from the regulator, Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL).
System Failure Disrupts Deposits
On Saturday, a technical failure in Germany’s LUGAS system halted deposits for all licensed operators. Only players with pre-existing funds could place bets.
LUGAS, designed to enforce deposit limits, failed, leaving operators unable to process transactions.
Concerns Over Black Market Growth
The German Sports Betting Association (DSWV) fears the outage pushed customers toward illegal operators.
The group has urged the GGL to investigate and consider 24/7 IT support through its partner, Dataport.
DSWV president Mathias Dahms warned of the risks, stating:
“This is not just about considerable economic damage. If legal sports betting offers cannot be used by customers from Germany on a Bundesliga Saturday, the illegal betting providers, who are very happy to accept new customers and deposits, will benefit first and foremost. There is no player protection in the black market. The German tax authorities are also left empty-handed.”
Regulator’s Response and Investigation
The GGL responded by contacting Dataport immediately after learning of the issue.
It has since launched an investigation but has not provided a timeline for resolving the problem.
Growing Black Market Challenges
The outage comes as Germany struggles with illegal gambling. Speaking at a DAW trade event, GGL chairman Ronald Benter stressed the need for stricter enforcement.
He called for IP-based blocking of illegal gambling ads.
The regulator has already requested legal changes to Section 284 of the Criminal Code. If approved, these would allow it to file criminal charges against unlicensed international operators.
Benter also highlighted a past legal victory that forced Google to show ads only from licensed providers.
Meanwhile, the GGL is studying ways to improve the visibility of legal operators while protecting players. A report on this is expected in December.
Allegations of Weak Financial Oversight
Germany’s gambling market has faced criticism over financial oversight. Investigate Europe reported that some players bypass the €1,000 deposit limit by using multiple operators.
The publication also alleged that German states secretly allowed operators to use Schufa’s simplified Shufa-G credit check instead of stricter financial assessments.
However, the DSWV dismissed these claims, calling them “unfounded scandalisation.”