It is estimated that there are up to 50,000 illegal gaming machines in Germany. Not all of them have a criminal background, but they are certainly detrimental to the prevention of addiction and do not help the reputation of the industry. The city of Herne no longer wants to accept this situation on its territory. To underline its decision, the city destroyed a large number of unauthorised devices in a highly publicised campaign. This has caused quite a stir in the political arena.
The arcade, a place of vice, associated with the dangers of addiction or even illegal activities: This - admittedly exaggerated - view is held by many Germans. The German Association of Towns and Municipalities (DStGB), together with the German gaming machine industry, now wants to do more to remove the "stigma" from these establishments. What exactly does that mean?
The Gauselmann Group has won the tender for the casino licence issued by the state of Lower Saxony. This means that the family-owned company from East Westphalia will take over the ten casinos and slot machine casinos in Lower Saxony from September 2024. The casinos are currently still operated by Spielbanken Niedersachsen GmbH. In addition, a further Gauselmann casino is to be built in neighbouring North Rhine-Westphalia.
The skills shortage is a critical issue in all sectors of the economy. The gaming industry is no exception. Experts can often only be recruited through extraordinary recruitment campaigns. Casino Stuttgart recently even went to the university.
Things aren't easy for arcade operators in Germany: minimum distances, the energy crisis and other regulations are creating a difficult business situation that ultimately affects the players. The state of Saarland has now introduced updated and stricter regulations in the form of a new arcades law. The ruling party openly states that the regulations are intended to reduce the gambling offering in the state.
The gaming company Merkur, or the Gauselmann Group and its associated companies, are well known for their extensive sponsorship activities. The brand is now also active in women's basketball through its partner Spielbanken Sachsen-Anhalt. Bundesliga team GISA LIONS MBC from Halle can look forward to support for the current season.
The location of betting shops and casinos is a regular source of legal disputes and political debate. Recently, the strict regulations on the location of gambling in public places have been confirmed once again. The Constitutional Court of Baden-Württemberg ruled that the so-called "separation requirement" was legal.
Sustainability is now an important issue in German arcades. On 19 July, the Bundesverband Automatenunternehmer presented a guideline with concrete recommendations for measures to implement or promote greater environmental awareness in Germany's gaming arcades. What exactly does this mean?
More than two years on, the effects of the Ahr flood disaster are still being felt. Not all the buildings affected have been rebuilt (or can be rebuilt). But there is good news for the Bad Neuenahr casino and its customers: It recently reopened its doors. The many flood victims, who continue to look to the future with concern, are also remembered.
Running a casino is no longer a guarantee of high turnover. Crises, bans and, last but not least, online gambling can take their toll on traditional establishments. This was also the case in Bavaria, where the acceptance of online gambling was severely hampered for around 15 years. However, this difficult period now seems to be over.
The Gauselmann Group was present at the three-day Parookaville Festival with a mobile casino. Visitors were able to play slot machines, blackjack and roulette. But how does a billion-dollar gambling company come up with the idea of running a casino at one of Europe's biggest electronic dance music festivals?
It is not just the online gambling industry that is facing a tough time in this country. The bricks and mortar gambling industry is also struggling to cope with increasingly stringent legislation. In Bremen, for example, new distance regulations for betting shops and casinos came into force a few days ago. The death of betting shops in the city is therefore likely to continue.
In the new State Treaty on Gambling, the first stated objective in §1 is to prevent the emergence of gambling addiction and to create the conditions for an effective fight against addiction. How does this objective fit in with the actions of the NRW government? In the last few years, the government has reduced the funds for the fight against gambling addiction instead of increasing them.
A few days ago, Berlin's administrative court confirmed that betting shops in the German capital must keep a minimum distance of 500 metres from gambling halls. In doing so, it dismissed the complaints of several betting companies from Malta. But what are the practical implications of this ruling
After having undergone a comprehensive structural restoration, a few days ago, the Spielbank Berlin reopened its main location on Potsdamer Platz. Guests can now play here on six floors and make use of 500 slot machines and 40 game tables. The 14-metre-high crystal chandelier directly at the entrance of the building is an eye catcher. How expensive were the refurbishments and what is the entrance price now?
Chris_W
Christian_1994