Control offensive revealed numerous offences in Hesse's betting shops

The Darmstadt Regional Council recently inspected almost 100 sports betting parlours and brokers throughout Hesse. According to District President Prof Dr Jan Hilligardt, the aim was to make an important contribution to the protection of players and young people in Hesse. Accordingly, specific factors were examined and it was found that not everything was running as it should.

Stationary betting providers in Hesse and throughout Germany are generally regarded as reputable companies that must offer their customers safe and fair gaming opportunities in order to obtain a licence in the first place. Despite these professional framework conditions, there are repeated offences in the areas of player and youth protection that damage the integrity of the industry. Typical offences include ignoring age checks, inadequate measures to prevent gambling addiction and failures to comply with legal regulations on customer identification. For example, there are regular reports that underage players are not stopped when entering the premises or that the prescribed warnings about the risks of gambling are inadequate.

The repeatedly critical situation has probably also prompted the Darmstadt Regional Council to carry out stricter controls in order to ensure the protection of players - and young people in particular - and to oblige the industry to take more responsibility. According to the official press report, various abuses were uncovered during a large-scale inspection offensive by the authority at the end of May. The inspectors recorded a total of 63 offences in around 100 betting venues, including 17 more serious cases.

Licences and other operational must-haves were checked

As part of the comprehensive inspection offensive by the Darmstadt Regional Council, numerous offences were discovered in Hesse's betting venues. But what was actually checked? As stated in the press release, the authority carries out regular inspections to ensure that the betting business is conducted properly in the betting centres. Particular attention is paid to the necessary protection of players and minors.

1. The most recent inspections focussed, among other things, on inspecting the legally required notices and ensuring that they were complete and clearly visible. This primarily related to specific information on the addictive risks of gambling.
2. It was also checked whether customer data is compared with the OASIS player blocking system and whether staff are correctly trained - particularly with regard to suspected cases of money laundering.
3. The general comparison of licences was also one of the focal points of the campaign.

The result: 63 administrative offences with 17 serious cases resulting in revocation proceedings

Some of the betting shop operators have something to be prepared for: A total of 63 administrative offences were registered during the inspection offensive by the Darmstadt Regional Council, with 17 cases being found to be so serious that revocation proceedings had to be initiated.

• The offences included the opening of pubs during the statutory closing times of 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. and on special public holidays.
• Another critical point was the illegal sale of alcohol.
• The checks also revealed that some operators were not complying with the mandatory connection to the OASIS player blocking system. According to the regulations, betting providers must ensure that every customer is checked in the system before the activation codes for the betting terminals are issued. This is to prevent banned players from gaining access to the offers.
• One particular problem was that betting shops are sometimes structurally connected to neighbouring pubs, which is prohibited under current regulations. Such access points can make it considerably more difficult to enforce youth protection measures and control access. According to the Hessian Gambling Act and the State Treaty on Gambling, betting centres are obliged to implement strict security measures, with physical separation from catering establishments high on the to-do list.

The initiation of revocation proceedings is a direct consequence of particularly serious violations. A typical trigger, as stated in the press statement, is a lack of staff, as too few employees on site often lead to insufficient implementation of the necessary information and security measures. In such cases, the protection of young people and gamblers in particular falls by the wayside. Pubs with these or similar shortcomings could lose their licence.

Conclusion

Image source: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/quality-control-quality-1257235/