Sports betting in Germany: Interwetten voluntarily drops markets on amateur football

The German football association has welcomed the move.

Germany.- The sportsbook Interwetten has taken the decision to stop offering bets on German amateur football on all of its international platforms. It said the aim of the move was to prevent customers in Germany from using its international sites to place such bets.

The decision comes after police in the German states of Hessen and Saarland confirmed that they were working on a joint investigation into 17 football matches over suspicions of match-fixing. The matches in question were in the DFB-organised 3. Liga, Regionalliga and Oberliga.

As reported by the Hamburg Morning Post, the cases span from November 2022 to the middle of this year. The investigation is said to focus on “suspicious refereeing and behaviour from goalkeepers and defenders”. The German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) is reportedly coordinating investigations. 

While Interwetten was founded in Germany, it now operates under a licence from the Malta Gaming Authority. It is a partner of the German Football Association, DFB, which regulates both amateur and professional football in the country.

DFB CEO Dr Holger Blask said: “We very much welcome this decision by Interwetten. This shows the partner’s sense of responsibility. We are both convinced that a controlled sports betting market with licensed sports betting providers ensures proper play thus the integrity of sporting competition while also taking player protection into account in the best possible way.”