Tipico is treating the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a commercial event on par with an entire extra month of trading, with the German-market operator describing it as a “13th month” for betting volume — and a rare window to pull customers back from a growing illegal market.
Kajetan Strini-Brown, Tipico’s Director of Sports Brand and Marketing Acquisition, spoke to SBC News ahead of the tournament, which kicks off this month across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The interview covers trading patterns, streaming rights, marketing constraints under Germany’s Interstate Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV 2021), and the structural challenge the black market poses to licensed operators in Germany.
Volume and the Black Market Case
Strini-Brown framed the World Cup in explicitly commercial terms, pointing to the volume case for the tournament rather than sentiment alone.
“The FIFA World Cup is the biggest event on the international sports calendar, and it holds great significance for all of us at Tipico. We are an international team with employees from 87 countries, and the vast majority of our colleagues are huge football fans. We get just as excited about this tournament as our customers do. For us, the World Cup is roughly comparable to an extra ’13th month.’ Betting volume is high, particularly due to the large number of games, global attention, and the participation of many nations. This high level of attention also gives us a good opportunity to reach users who bet on the black market and, hopefully, bring them back into a regulated and thus safer sports betting environment.”
Germany enters the tournament as a four-time World Cup winner, though the national side has struggled for consistency in recent years. A group-stage exit at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, a round of 16 defeat to England at Euro 2020, and a quarter-final loss to Spain at Euro 2024 — a tournament hosted on German soil — have kept expectations measured. Germany qualified for 2026 by topping a group containing Northern Ireland, Slovakia, and Luxembourg.
Trading Patterns and Player Markets
On bettor behaviour, Strini-Brown confirmed strong domestic affiliation but noted that international stars are driving the player market rather than German forwards.
“There’s always a strong emotional connection to the German national team — many bettors naturally back the home side, especially if the tournament momentum is positive. But the World Cup is a global event, and we also see a lot of interest in traditional favourite nations like Spain, France, England, Brazil, Argentina or Portugal. At the same time, good performances can quickly shift attention. For example, during the last World Cup we saw particularly strong engagement around Morocco, driven by their impressive run during the tournament.”
On individual player markets, France’s Kylian Mbappé and England’s Harry Kane lead Tipico’s top scorer activity, with Kane benefiting from his Bayern Munich profile in the German market. Strini-Brown acknowledged that Germany lacks a dominant striker candidate at the moment.
“When it comes to Germany, the picture is a bit different. There isn’t a single striker dominating fan expectations at the moment — the days of a clear figure like Miroslav Klose are gone. However, things could change quickly if Havertz and Wirtz start scoring.”
Streaming Rights and Product
The World Cup arrives at a significant moment for Tipico operationally. Banijay Group acquired a 65% majority stake in the company at the start of 2026, and Tipico has secured streaming rights for all World Cup matches for German audiences through a partnership with Stats Perform, which holds FIFA’s exclusive global betting data and live streaming rights. Tipico describes itself as the first and only licensed sportsbook in Germany to offer the full tournament livestream.
“Our new live-video-stream service is a great addition because it brings fans even closer to the matches. Tipico’s goal is always to provide our customers with the best possible football experience while ensuring full compliance with all regulatory requirements. The new live-video-stream service is another great benefit that can help bring customers back from the black market to the licensed market.”
Marketing Within the GlüStV 2021 Framework
Germany’s regulatory environment has tightened considerably since the GlüStV 2021 came into force, introducing a €1,000 monthly deposit cap, a 5.3% stake tax, €1 slot stake limits, and 5-second spin rules. The Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) has also issued strict advertising guidelines. A review of the GlüStV 2021 is ongoing and expected to conclude by the end of 2026.
Strini-Brown said Tipico has treated the regulatory constraints as a fixed operational parameter rather than an obstacle, and is focused on compliant execution during what he described as an already intense competitive period.
“Germany has developed a highly regulated framework for sports betting over recent years, which has changed how operators communicate with customers. We see this as part of the market reality and have adapted accordingly. Within the existing framework, we are confident in our ability to deliver relevant campaigns, compelling customer experiences, and strong engagement while meeting all regulatory requirements.”
On the World Cup marketing approach specifically, Strini-Brown pointed to database scale and CRM as the primary levers, given Tipico’s established penetration of the German sportsbook market.
“Given the sheer size of our database and the fact that most sportsbook-interested customers in Germany already have a Tipico account, database marketing and CRM naturally play a huge role for us during a tournament like the World Cup. That means relevant offers, and making sure that every touchpoint during the tournament adds value to the overall customer experience.”
Black Market and Enforcement
When pressed on the competitive landscape, Strini-Brown was direct that the black market poses a bigger structural challenge than regulated competitors — and identified hybrid offline-online models as a specific enforcement gap.
“Competition exists within the regulated market, but the bigger structural challenge is clearly the black market. The current regulations are intended to protect players and keep them away from the black market. Unfortunately, however, we are seeing a decline in the number of licensed providers and a growing illegal market. Especially during major events with huge attention, unregulated operators try to attract customers with offers that fall outside the legal framework.”
“Enforcement remains a key challenge; especially when it comes to illegal operators — both online and retail. Because even in the stationary sector, the black market is thriving thanks to so-called hybrid models designed to circumvent existing safeguards. For example, money is deposited at barbershops or kiosks so that it can then be used to gamble online with illegal operators.”
The dynamics Tipico describes are consistent with the broader picture in regulated European markets. Germany’s sports betting tax — set at 8% of stakes — remains one of the factors operators cite when explaining the difficulty of competing against unlicensed alternatives on product price. The same black market argument has featured prominently in the UK tax debate, where operators warned that duty increases would accelerate player migration to unlicensed sites. A separate German betting industry warning about black market growth was issued at the start of the Champions League season in 2025.
Outlook
Strini-Brown acknowledged the late US kickoff times as a complicating factor for German audiences but stopped short of framing them as a material revenue risk. His overall assessment was cautiously optimistic, with the black market challenge noted as the primary headwind.
“Of course — competing against the growing black market is becoming increasingly challenging for us. The late kickoff times don’t make things any easier either. Nevertheless, at Tipico, we always see the World Cup as an opportunity to bring customers back into the regulated market: there’s a record number of games, varying kickoff times, and many teams that are among the favourites. Our employees and customers are really looking forward to the tournament.”
The GlüStV 2021 review, due to conclude by year-end, will determine whether Germany’s regulatory framework moves in a direction that narrows the gap between the licensed and unlicensed markets — or widens it further.
Source: SBC News
