Sports betting breaks sales records in Germany

Players in Germany spent around €9.3 billion on sports betting last year, which represents a 21% increase over 2018.

Germany.- The German sports betting association, Deutsche Sportwettenverband (DSWV), has unveiled details about the segment’s performance last year. Players in Germany spent around  €9.3 billion on sports betting in 2019, representing a 21% increase over the same period the previous year.

The DSWV talked about recent figures from the Federal Ministry of Finance from Germany and explained that the 21% is especially impressive as 2019 did not feature a football World Cup or any other major tournament.

Mathias Dahms, president of the DSWV, said: “Sports betting has reached the centre of society in Germany and has become a popular leisure activity. The common good also benefits: Last year, sports betting providers paid around €500 million in sports betting tax.”

Dahms also said that after years of political discussions, the nationwide approval process for sports betting providers has been running since the beginning of the year. According to the responsible regional council in Darmstadt, at least 45 applications are expected. The first permits are to be issued in the spring.

He explained: “The federal states are now obliged to show that their regulatory framework works and that they can effectively combat unlicensed offers. In some cases, improvements are necessary so that there is no displacement of players into the black market and distortion of competition.”