German House of Soccer: Can Data Beat the Bookmakers?
Who is better at predicting the outcome of a soccer match—a statistician or an octopus? And what happens when data science, betting markets, and soccer fandom collide? In this entertaining transatlantic conversation, our speakers will explore how data science, betting platforms, and predictive modeling are transforming the way we analyze, watch, and engage with soccer.
From World Cup forecasting and match prediction to the growing influence of sports betting and analytics-driven decision-making, the discussion will examine how quantitative models are reshaping the game – both on and off the field. Blending insight, humor, and criticism, Dr. Andreas Groll and Jonathan D. Cohen will engage the audience in a lively debate on whether algorithms, bookmakers, or fans themselves truly understand the game best.
Event Overview
Taking place during Germany Day at the German House of Soccer, a German Football Association (DFB) initiative surrounding the FIFA World Cup 2026, this session is organized by UA Ruhr, Columbia Global Reports, and DWIH New York. The talkshow-style panel will explore the role of statistics, predictive modeling, and sports betting in modern soccer in an accessible and entertaining format for soccer fans, academics, and the German-American community.
Admission is Free for All Activities with Registration!
*Please make sure you choose the correct date – June 22nd – from the drop down when you register.
Lineup
- Prof. Dr. Andreas Groll, TU Dortmund
Chair of Applied Statistics & Data Science, research focus: Statistical Modeling of Soccer Tournaments and World Cup Predictions - Jonathan Cohen, Author of Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sport’s Betting
Jonathan D. Cohen leads gambling policy at the American Institute for Boys and Men. He is the author of For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America as well as the co-editor of Long Walk Home: Reflections on Bruce Springsteen, and All In: The Spread of Gambling in Twentieth-Century United States. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and many other outlets. He lives in New Haven, CT. In Losing Big, historian Jonathan D. Cohen lays out the astonishing emergence of online sports gambling, from sportsbook executives drafting legislation to an addicted gambler confessing their $300,000 losses. Sports gambling is here to stay, and the stakes could not be higher. Losing Big explains how this brewing crisis came to be, and how it can be addressed before new generations get hooked.Jonathan D. Cohen
Prof. Andreas GrollProf. Dr. Andreas Groll is Professor of Statistical Methods for Big Data at the department of Statistics at TU Dortmund University, where he also leads the Statistical Methods for Big Data research group. His research focuses on variable selection and regularization, generalized linear and additive models, time-to-event analysis, categorical data, semi-parametric regression, and sports analytics, including the modelling and prediction of international sports tournaments.
Before joining TU Dortmund as an associate Professor in 2019, he held positions as assistant Professor at TU Dortmund and as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Göttingen and LMU Munich, where he also completed his doctorate in statistics.
Event Information
June 22, 2026, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Chelsea Industrial 535-551 W 28th St, New York, NY 10001
Organizer(s): UA Ruhr, Columbia Global Reports, DWIH New York