There is an amusement arcade in Frankfurt am Main that is only around 100 metres away from a primary school. Although the city would like to see this arcade disappear, it does not have the legal means to do so. Elsewhere, however, it is sometimes easier for cities to force amusement arcades and betting shops to give up by revoking their operating licences with reference to distance regulations.
Taxes on games of chance are not only a perennial topic of contention among gamblers. The providers of such services also have their burdens with the German tax authorities. Stationary gaming arcades and all others that set up machines in public spaces have to pay a specific amusement tax. This is now to be raised in Frankfurt from 5.5 per cent (which is actually very moderate by comparison) to 7.5 per cent. The operators went on the barricades. The city showed no understanding.
There are numerous casinos in Europe that can look back on a long history but still keep their finger on the pulse of the times. The Grand Casino Baden in the eponymous town in the Swiss canton of Aargau is undoubtedly one of the best-known representatives of this genre in the German-speaking world. It is about to celebrate an important anniversary. However, there is a serious structural problem: the ceiling in the listed Kursaal building is in danger of collapsing and cannot be replaced without further ado.
Illegal gambling seems to be practically omnipresent. There are heaps of unregulated casinos or betting providers on the Internet - and in the real world, too, new reports of shady sports matches, casinos operating in the black or manipulated gambling are published almost daily. The police in Frankfurt am Main recently launched a special operation in response to the increasing number of unauthorised gaming machines in the city. They destroyed no fewer than 45 of these hacked machines to send out a clear signal.
Spielbank Berlin celebrated its 26th birthday on 2 October 2024 in its main building on Potsdamer Platz. Under the motto ‘Good luck on your birthday’, the traditional casino invited guests to the big celebrations. But how attractive is the Potsdamer Platz location after more than 25 years?
Gambling regulations in Germany are anything but easy to keep track of - and sometimes even legislators only seem to realise in retrospect that certain decisions are not entirely consistent. A case in point is the absolute smoking ban in gambling halls in Saarland. In contrast to these establishments, casinos here are allowed to have special smoking rooms, which prompted a casino operator to lodge a complaint. Following the legal ruling in favour of the plaintiff, a transitional solution has now actually been decided for all stationary slot machine providers in the state.
The fact that tobacco smoke can be unhealthy not only for active smokers, but also for people in their immediate vicinity seems to be sufficiently proven. This is why smoking in public places is now completely banned almost everywhere in Germany. The so-called adjoining room exception can be used as a loophole in some federal states - including Saarland. However, as the local gaming arcades were excluded from this by the new gaming arcade law, one operator took legal action and was proved right. However, the Automaten-Verband-Saar warns against jumping to conclusions.
Almost every second adult in the United States has visited a casino at least once in the past year. This is the result of an analysis by the American Gaming Association (AGA). But what are the reasons for the high popularity of terrestrial gaming centres in the USA?
The Merkur Casino in the Westphalian spa town of Bad Oeynhausen will be celebrating its 25th anniversary on 26 September 2024 at the ‘Magics’ entertainment centre in Werre Park. The organisers are promising a major ‘red carpet event’ with special prizes, which will even feature stars from the national media landscape. Sylvie Meis and other well-known faces have been announced. The festivities are to last several days. A world star even attended the opening of the original house in 1980.
Since the new Interstate Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV) came into force, gambling in Germany has been meticulously regulated both online and offline. The state not only stipulates possible losses and winnings, but also sets guidelines regarding playing time and the range of games on offer. The result: many gambling fans are turning their backs on the legal offer and playing on the black market instead.
According to German legislation, gambling is not normally allowed to be made accessible to children and young people. However, before the school holidays, a grammar school in Essen ensured that Year 9 pupils were able to engage intensively with such online offers. The reason for this was (of course) an educational project.
The operator of the Monte-Carlo casino and luxury cruise operator Crystal are planning to open a Casino de Monte-Carlo on the high seas. Until now, the company behind the Monte Carlo casino, Monte-Carlo Societé des Bains de Mer (SBM), has operated almost exclusively in the Principality of Monaco. But what exactly can water-loving gambling fans look forward to in the future?
A few days ago, an illegal casino was uncovered in the Kamen region of North Rhine-Westphalia. Police officers intervened in the middle of the night following a tip-off and encountered a large number of gamblers. Apparently large sums were being wagered. Cash in the six-figure range was confiscated.
A few weeks ago, CDU MP Gitta Connemann asked the German government an interesting question regarding gaming machines in Germany. Specifically, the politician, who was born in Leer/Ostfriesland, wanted to know how the number of legally and illegally operated gaming machines has developed since 2012. The federal government's answer to this seemingly simple question was surprising.
At the beginning of March, 19 house searches were carried out in Austria and Greece as part of Operation Ikarus. The operation focussed on the illegal gambling scene. The raid was the result of an investigation lasting several months. Among other things, tax evasion totalling tens of millions of euros is being investigated.
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