Dead Canary

About Dead Canary

“Evolution may be unwittingly susceptible to having its games played through third-party operators, in violation of its contracts…”

The firm goes on to confirm that Evolution had therefore received income from these unauthorised activities.

“Such operations, albeit not purposeful, may impugn the company’s reputation and potentially subject Evolution to heightened regulatory scrutiny and the imposition of sanctions,” the report continues.

About Dead Canary

The DOCV, another trade body representing licensed online casino operators in Germany, also expressed support for the prosecutorial efforts. However, it emphasised that the raid exposed regulatory gaps which had allowed organised crime to flourish.

Kevin O’Neal, a DOCV board member, argued the scale of the investigation calls the GGL’s broader black market estimates into question. He cited the regulator’s 2025 activity report, which put the 2024 share at 23% (€547 million in gross gaming revenue), against Nielsen data suggesting a share of around 56%.

The trade body has long been critical over the discrepancy between channelisation estimates made by the regulator, and other independent reviewers.

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The operator was also investigating the roles of the same trust firm in relation to Qbet and Skyhills, indicating further legal proceedings may be forthcoming once corporate structures are clarified.

The crackdown on illegal gambling sites coincided with a broader policy debate in The Hague. The Dutch House of Representatives is set to discuss gambling regulation reforms this week. 

Nederlandse Loterij has welcomed government proposals aimed at expanding the Gambling Authority’s powers to combat illegal operators but has cautioned that comprehensive legislative changes could take years to become effective.