The Ruble Rolls: consequences of illegal betting and games
The Ruble Rolls: consequences of illegal betting and games
Illegal slot machines and sports betting generate billions in revenue in Germany. Illegal gambling is estimated to be up to ten times the volume of legal gambling, according to the Gambling Research Center at the University of Hohenheim. The scientists presented for the first time figures on the gray and black market of gamblers. According to their own statements, they relied on information from "high-ranking insiders" in the fight against crime.
Illegal slot machines are estimated to generate revenue at least half that of legal machines. Legally, slot machines in arcades, pubs or casinos turned over about 15 billion euros in 2006. The situation is even more drastic for sports betting. In the case of illegal sports betting, online cricket betting sites in indian rupees, the shadow turnover is probably five to ten times as high as the legal business: while the state provider achieved a turnover of around 300 million euros in the year, the turnover of private providers in betting shops and on the Internet is probably between 1.5 and three billion euros, according to expert estimates. However, the experts speak of "rough estimates."
For the flourishing business of the illegals, the experts blame the legal gray area, especially in sports betting, and the technical level of slot machines, with which the monitoring authorities could hardly keep up. "With today's generation of slot machines, it is generally no longer possible for local monitoring and control authorities to check the technical intricacies of legal requirements," explains Tilman Becker, head of the Gambling Research Center. Sports betting, on the other hand, is mostly conducted on the Internet, which is prohibited under current law in Germany. In this country, they may only be offered by a state provider. In legal disputes, however, the owners of betting shops and Internet providers invoked European law, which guarantees freedom of service and freedom of occupation within the EU.
In addition to more staff, the experts are calling for "more creativity and new approaches" in the fight against illegal gambling. In Becker's opinion, one of the things that should be discussed is to place slot machines only in state-run casinos in the future. He referred to Italy, where it is currently being discussed whether all sports betting should only be offered via a central state server based in Italy.
