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The Deutsche Sportwettenverband (DSWV), the German organisation of sports betting operators, has published a statement in response to media stories that misinterpreted the results of a 2021 Gambling Survey. The DSWV voiced disagreement with the survey’s representation of the number of people classified as problem gamblers, as well as some inferences taken from the data. The comment comes in reaction to accusations made by various media sites that the number of problem gamblers in Germany increased from 400,000 to 1.4 million following the passage of the country’s Interstate Gambling Treaty in 2021. The DSWV responded by claiming that such findings are unjustified.
DSWV President Mathias Dahms emphasized the association’s openness to discussions grounded in accurate and verified facts regarding gambling behavior in Germany. However, he highlighted the necessity of ensuring that any comparisons and conclusions drawn from the data are valid and can be substantiated. Dahms underlined that the evaluation of the State Treaty, planned for the end of 2026, should incorporate insights from all relevant stakeholders.
“The DSWV welcomes a data- and fact-based discussion on gaming behavior in Germany. However, the derivations must be conclusive and based on verified facts.” – Mathias Dahms, DSWV President
Citing data sourced from prevalence studies conducted by the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA), the DSWV clarified that the “number of people with problem gambling behavior [remains] stable or slightly declining.” The association elaborated that the methodology for data collection underwent changes in 2021, marking the first measurement by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Addiction and Drug Research (ISD).
The DSWV stated that the 2021 Gambling Survey provided as a starting point for assessing the impact of new legislative measures enacted under the 2021 State Gambling Treaty. As a result, the organization advised against making firm conclusions regarding the consequences of the Interstate Treaty merely on the results of this poll.
The implementation of a “methodology reboot” for data gathering in the 2021 survey caused compatibility issues with prior numbers. As a result, a direct comparison of this survey to past years’ findings is not possible. The DSWV stated that the 2021 survey should be seen as a starting point rather than a thorough evaluation of the impact of the 2021 Interstate Gambling Treaty.