Information on submitting reports

What types of reports can be submitted?

Reports can be submitted regarding sports betting fraud and the manipulation of sporting competitions – i.e. attempts to influence the outcome of a sporting competition (a sporting event in Germany or abroad), possibly in connection with a bet placed on that event.

Examples:

  • Influencing a footballer in return for a cash payment so that his team loses a league match
  • Bribing a tennis player to lose a match – placing a corresponding sports bet
  • Influencing a player in the regional league who, in return for a benefit, promises to perform significantly below his ability and, for example, to assist in conceding a goal by committing a foul in the penalty area
  • Influencing a coach to deliberately field weaker athletes in a competition in favour of the opposing team
  • Influencing a judge to advocate for a better result for a specific athlete or team in a competition
  • Influencing a referee to issue more red cards to the opposing team in favour of one side


If you have any questions or information regarding other areas of crime, please contact your nearest police station.

Why should I make a report?

The manipulation of sporting events undermines the integrity of sport and, with it, confidence in fair sporting competition. There is a significant under-reporting of such incidents. It is only with your help that criminal activities can be uncovered at an early stage, perpetrators identified, and further damage prevented.

Take this opportunity to play your part in combating and investigating sports betting fraud and the manipulation of sporting competitions.

How does the reporting process work? How can I remain anonymous and receive a response?

If you wish to submit a report, either by name or anonymously, click on the ‘Submit a report’ button at the top of the homepage. The reporting form that appears will guide you systematically through the process of submitting your report.

The reporting process comprises four steps:

  1. First, you will be asked to assign your report to a specific topic. 
  2. On the following page, please select the company that is directly affected by the incident you are reporting.
  3. You will then be taken to the enquiry page. Here, you can describe the incident in your own words and answer detailed questions about it. There is no character limit for the free-text field. You may also attach up to 5 files, each up to 300 MB in size, to support your report. Please bear in mind that documents may contain information about the author. 
  4. Once you have submitted your report, a secure mailbox will be automatically set up for you, enabling anonymous communication, and you will be notified of how your report has been followed up. Your login details will be displayed on a further, automatically generated page for you to save. 


The login details for the secure mailbox are generated automatically once you have submitted the notification and are made available to you on a separate page for you to save or download. Please ensure you keep these details safe, as they cannot be recovered. These login details are not visible to anyone other than yourself. If you lose your login details, you can submit a new report, referencing the original report (stating the date and time of submission), and you will receive new login details for a secure mailbox. As this is a new secure mailbox, the contents of your old report will not be available here. 

Via the secure inbox, a case handler will provide you with feedback on what is happening with your report, or ask questions should any details still be unclear – you will remain anonymous throughout the dialogue.

You can access your secure inbox at any time using your login details via the ‘Mailbox login’ button. 

The system does not store IP addresses and does not use any tracking tools. All data transmitted is kept anonymous using appropriate end-to-end encryption. It is therefore not possible to trace the report back to you, provided you do not yourself provide any data that could identify you. Even if you provide your name, the case handlers will maintain the confidentiality of your identity in accordance with legal requirements.

KERN CHERKEH Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB
Sports Match-Fixing Reporting Centre
Königstraße 7
30175 Hanover
Germany

We assure you that our sole interest lies in the incident you have reported. The aim is to uncover irregularities and prevent financial loss.

Who will process my report?

Your report will be processed by KERN CHERKEH Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB in Hanover, which has been commissioned by the state to carry out the duties of the ‘Sports Match-Fixing Reporting Centre’, during its office hours (Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00).

If your report gives rise to a suspicion of a criminal offence, it will be forwarded to the investigating and prosecuting authorities, provided you have given your consent to this during the reporting process. The decision on whether to initiate criminal proceedings ultimately rests with the public prosecutor’s office responsible for the case.

If your report does not give rise to any suspicion of a criminal offence but appears to be of merit, your report will be forwarded to the relevant sports association, provided you have given your consent to this on the reporting page.

You can use the secure mailbox to stay in contact with the Sports Manipulation Reporting Centre (KERN CHERKEH Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB) for any follow-up enquiries after submitting your report.