EMEA
German law enforcement officers forcefully enter the offices of Tipster, a sports betting operator licensed by MGA
As per a report from German newspaper Bild, authorities in Germany have conducted a large-scale raid on Tipster, a sports betting operator licensed by MGA.
A coordinated operation involving over 1,000 officers from the North Rhine-Westphalia riot police and criminal investigation department simultaneously conducted searches at more than 100 locations in various cities across Germany, as well as in Malta and Croatia. The targets of the raids were connected to Tipster, a sports betting operator licensed by MGA.
As per the report from Bild, the investigation is centered around suspicions of illegal gambling and the alleged formation of a criminal organization in connection with Tipster, the MGA-licensed sports betting operator.
As part of the ongoing investigation, authorities are conducting searches to gather evidence and identify assets related to the case. Currently, six suspects, all males aged between 34 and 60, who are members of Tipster’s management team, are in custody.
Chief Inspector Markus Niesczery has confirmed that the six main suspects were apprehended in Cologne and Brühl, both cities in Germany.
Apart from the police officers, the operation also involves prosecutors from the Central Office for Organized Crime, customs officials, and financial investigators from North Rhine-Westphalia, all working together in this coordinated effort.
During the operation, the police conducted a search at the headquarters of Tipster in Cologne, resulting in the arrest of one suspect. Additionally, servers located in a secured vault were seized by the authorities. The operation spanned several hours, during which efforts were made to gain access to the servers, as reported by Bild.
Tipster, which was established in 2010, holds licenses from both the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and Germany’s GGL whitelist.
The investigation is still ongoing, and at this time, authorities have not provided further details regarding the specific allegations against the suspects, as reported by Bild.