DSWV president demands “stronger fight” against black market operators in Germany
Mathias Dahms claims there is little evidence for match-fixing in lower leagues of football but authorities must remain vigilant in the face of unlicensed firms
The president of the German Sports Betting Association (DSWV), Mathias Dahms, has called for a “stronger fight” against black market operators amid fears of match-fixing in amateur football in the country.
In September, German police investigated allegations of match-fixing in the lower leagues of the nation’s footballing pyramid, with one story from newspaper the Hamburger Morgenpost reporting that as many as 17 games were embroiled in the scandal.
However, the DSWV has since claimed that it has found no evidence of any wrongdoing, though the body acknowledged its view is “limited.”
Speaking during a meeting of the Sports Committee of the German Bundestag on 9 October, Dahms discussed the threat posed by illegal operators and how licensed bookmakers are prohibited from offering bets on amateur fixtures.
“The problem lies more in the black market, where such offers continue to exist,” he explained.
The DSWV president added that the black market’s growth is a “cause for concern”, before stating that the enforcement of the law in response to tax and criminal offences “must be intensified”.
Despite the efforts gone into thwarting illegal operators from German gambling regulator, the GGL, Dahms estimated “at least 30% of the German sports betting market is unregulated”.
He referenced how exposed German customers are to illegal operators online, with many of the unlicensed bookmakers now serving as sponsors for major sporting events as well as “internationally known influencers and music stars”.
As per Dahms address, these unlicensed operators often operate with cryptocurrencies and evade state supervision and therefore taxation.
He added: “This is where we see the real threats to the integrity of sport. Due to their lack of transparency, it cannot be ruled out that such illegal offers will also be misused for the purposes of match manipulation.”
Dahms did shed light on the steps already taken to combat illegal activity like match-fixing, referencing how Germany now has several measures in place to “counter the risk of manipulation”.
Dahms said the authorities’ awareness and action against match-fixing had been intensified ever since the 2005 Hoyzer scandal, when referee Robert Hoyzer was convicted of match-fixing for a gambling syndicate.
However, the DSWV president conceded that ruling out match-fixing entirely is impossible, while each case should be “rigorously investigated”.