Bremen is continuing its tough regulatory approach to betting shops. According to a press release from the Senate, the consistent enforcement of distancing rules means that there are actually only eight approved locations - a reduction of a whopping 75 percent since 2022. Politicians are celebrating this as a success. But is it really appropriate to publicly celebrate the closure of fundamentally legal businesses?
Luxury: "costly, extravagant, exceeding the normal scope of living, not necessary, pursued only for pleasure; splendor, lavish opulence". Is this definition from the dictionary still valid today? Looking at the data from a recent EuroJackpot study, it can be questioned, at least from a social perspective. For Germans, personal freedom and extraordinary experiences are now much stronger status symbols than bling-bling and ostentatious consumption.
In mid-December, the German interior ministers agreed that illegal gambling offers from foreign providers should be consistently prosecuted and severely punished. In this context, there was also a proposal to set up a special public prosecutor's office to deal with such illegal gambling offers. But how sensible is such a proposal?
Since the new State Treaty on Gambling came into force, a number of player protection regulations have applied in German online casinos. These include a ban on autoplay. Of course, it can be questioned whether such a ban is suitable for protecting users from problematic gaming behavior. But what options do players have to deal with the current situation and can the autoplay ban be overridden with an autoclicker?
A party to remember needs more than streamers, party hats and karaoke competitions. Even photo boxes, fire breathers and candy bars are no longer real highlights. How do you create an atmosphere that really captivates guests? A mobile casino could be the answer. Poker, roulette and co. bring thrills and glamor to your own event. But what's the best way to go about bringing the casino "home"? We have taken a closer look.
In the CrazyBuzzer online casino, every new customer can secure a free starting credit immediately after registration. To be more precise, CrazyBuzzer offers a 5 euro bonus with no depositor required. But how can this promising promotion be activated quickly and easily and how great is the added value in practice?
Free Spins Monday has become part of JackpotPiraten's DNA. Just in time for the start of the week, the licensed online casino always grants five free spins without a depositor. The free spins are always valid for a virtual slot game that was previously selected by the community. But is JackpotPiraten Free Spins Monday also worthwhile in practice and what other promotions await gamblers on the other days of the week?
According to the State Treaty on Gambling of 2021, online table games are generally permitted in Germany. However, regulation is not nationwide, as is the case with virtual machines, but is a matter for the federal states. This inconsistent solution has meant that roulette, blackjack and the like cannot be played online in many places to this day (at least not legally). Baden-Württemberg has recently become one of the few regions to approve such casino games. However, only from a state provider and, of course, only within the state borders.
Since the end of February, the German online casinos JackpotPiraten and BingBong have finally been offering the option of taking out various premium memberships. Subscription models are available from 5.99 euros per month plus one-off costs from 1.99 euros. But what added value does the JackpotPiraten subscription offer in practice? This much can already be revealed: In the meantime, I have played my way up from 1 euro to over 430 euros.
The Gambling Survey is considered the most important data collection on gambling participation in Germany. The Institute for Interdisciplinary Addiction and Drug Research (ISD) and the Gambling Research Unit at the University of Bremen have been in charge since 2021. Compared to the last survey conducted by the previously responsible Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA), the figures shot up by an astonishing 550 percent practically overnight! Many people then asked themselves: Can this be right? Apparently not, as a new Forsa study now suggests. The result should give those responsible for the gambling survey a real stomach ache.
In the Netherlands, there is market freedom for online gambling, while land-based casinos are subject to a state monopoly. However, this could soon be over, as Teun Struycken, Minister for Legal Protection, recently stated that the government is working on updating the current regulations and plans to submit them to the House of Representatives in March 2025. Lifting the casino monopoly would be a big deal.
As part of the know-your-customer (KYC) process, gambling providers verify the identity and age of players. For this purpose, users usually have to present a valid ID document and, depending on the verification option, take a selfie or provide the provider with other personal documents. But which casino verification options have now become established in Germany?
The JackpotPiraten casino now offers its visitors 687 online slots and allows depositors to play for as little as one euro. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Glücksspiel mbH (DGGS) from Berlin is responsible for the operation. I started another self-experiment and deliberately deposited just 10 euros to see if you can have fun with a small budget and maybe even win something. So how did the day at JackpotPiraten go?
The traditional Wiesbaden casino needs a new operator. In February 2025, the city of Wiesbaden will publish a corresponding invitation to tender. The winner of the tender will then be allowed to operate the popular location for the next 15 years. However, there is already a favorite that will most likely operate the casino in the future. But of course the competition never sleeps.
Gambling providers repeatedly come into conflict with regulations - usually not deliberately, but rather by mistake. This is probably also the case with the current case involving the bwin operator Entain. As announced by the Australian authority for combating serious abuse of the local financial system, legal proceedings have been initiated against the group. The accusation of "breaches of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act" sounds pretty awesome at first. Let's take a look at what's behind it.
Chris_W
Christian_1994