Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg in action: Fight against illegal gambling!

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Find out how Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg takes part in Berlin's actions against illegal gambling and organized crime.

Erfahren Sie, wie Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg an Berliner Aktionen gegen illegales Glücksspiel und organisierte Kriminalität teilnimmt.
Find out how Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg takes part in Berlin's actions against illegal gambling and organized crime.

Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg in action: Fight against illegal gambling!

The fight against illegal gambling in Berlin has intensified in recent years. A current success of these efforts can be seen in the most recent control operation in which the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district office took part. This action is part of the “Cooperation Platform to Combat Organized Crime”, which was launched in 2023. The aim of this platform is to remove the basis for illegal economic structures through coordinated controls, information exchange and asset confiscation, such as Berlin.de reported.

The main focus of these operations includes checking illegal slot machines as well as compliance with work, residence and hygiene regulations. These regulatory measures are crucial to ensure the integrity of local businesses and protect consumers from unfair practices. The success of such operations is based on the close cooperation between the public order office and various state and federal authorities, which together strengthen the ability to act against organized structures in the commercial sector.

Strategies against organized crime

The Berlin Senate has also initiated increased action against organized crime (OC). Justice Senator Felor Badenberg (CDU) expresses concern that it is too easy for these groups to make illegal profits. This strategy includes increased involvement of the district public order offices, which should not only impose fines but also issue confiscation notices. The aim is to move from previously predominantly fine notices to a stronger focus on confiscation notices. So far, fines of around 500 euros have usually been imposed for violations, such as illegal slot machines. In a remarkable move, five confiscation proceedings with a total value of 171,000 euros have been successfully completed, while further proceedings are still ongoing.

The public order offices act as the “eyes of the investigative authorities” and use their local knowledge to take increased action against organized crime. You can even carry out many checks without a judicial search warrant. According to the Organized Crime Berlin 2024 situation report, the number of crimes in this area has decreased slightly, but the financial damage caused by criminal groups remains significant. In total, these groups caused financial damage of around 57 million euros in 2024, including through gang-related burglaries and other crimes.

Measures to combat illegal gambling

Gambling supervision in Germany remains a challenge. The 2024 activity report of the Gambling Authority (GGL) highlights that despite the measures taken, the fight against illegal gambling remains difficult. In 2024, the GGL initiated 231 prohibition proceedings against illegal offers and made around 450 gambling sites inaccessible. In addition, the market share of illegal online gambling was estimated at around 25 percent. Supervision of legal providers has also been strengthened, reflected in the processing of 230 permit and variation applications, while 141 providers are being supervised.

The introduction of new tools such as “Markers of Harm” for the early detection of problematic gambling behavior shows that the legal framework and supervision need to be constantly adapted. In order to continue to develop effective strategies in the future, the GGL plans to further expand its cooperation with national and international authorities in order to effectively combat illegal providers Gambling Authority reported.

Overall, it is clear that Berlin wants to combat the illegal gambling market and ensure the proper practice of gambling with a variety of measures and cooperations. However, the challenge remains significant and criminals' creativity constantly requires new and adapted strategies.