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German authorities have conducted a major crackdown on an alleged illegal online gambling operation suspected of facilitating wagers totalling approximately €5.86 billion over a 30-month period.
According to the German Press Agency, the Frankfurt public prosecutor’s office, together with the Frankfurt tax investigation unit, the State Office for the Combat of Financial Crime in North Rhine-Westphalia and Frankfurt police, executed coordinated searches across 11 premises on Tuesday.
Over 100 officers participated in the operation. Authorities seized several high-value vehicles, froze numerous bank accounts and imposed an asset restraint order valued at around €82 million. An arrest warrant was also executed.
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Under the terms of the state’s offer, Pietras will admit to stealing his clients’ money for his personal use. In exchange for his admission, the state has recommended a prison sentence of 7.5 years instead of 15 years, followed by five years of probation.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, law enforcement began investigating Pietras after an employee with a third-party company that assists funeral homes in managing and administering funeral contracts notified police about possible discrepancies at Pietras Family Funeral Homes in Coventry. Such funeral trust administrators partner with funeral homes to provide various programs, including trust funds, insurance policies, and escrow account management.
Law enforcement investigators uncovered a mountain of alleged theft. As the news spread, clients began requesting escrow statements, only to find that their funds were never deposited.
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Candidates from the VVD party urged the government to take a “harder stance” against these big tech platforms.
Some politicians stated their opinion that the legal gambling age in the Netherlands should be increased to 21 from the current barrier of 18 years old.
This isn’t the first time this policy has been mooted in the Dutch parliament. A 2025 bill proposed raising the age for “higher-risk” activities like online slots.