Resentment for arcade regulation

Minimum distances for arcades and the ban on multiple concessions cause resentment in Baden-Württemberg. As part of the amendment process of the Gambling State Treaty (GlüstV), the green-black coalition has started a wave of outrage in many municipalities in the federal state. In this regard, several mayors are calling for more say in the implementation of the new legislation, since the current implementation of the GlüStV would ruin many arcades. Individual associations from the gaming industry are also skeptical.

Strict implementation of the glow

Since the elaboration of the new Gaming State Treaty by the 16 Prime Minister of the federal states, some measures that will finally come into force from June 1st have had a need for discussion. In the recent past, intensive debates in the different state parliament had cooked up at regular intervals Individual regulatory intentions would not overshoot the goal. The minimum distances for arcades and the ban on multiple concessions were often the focus of the discussions. In Baden-Württemberg, too, the subject areas remain hot discussed shortly before the legality of the new legislation.

This is how it has Coalition government – consisting of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and CDU – together on a coalition agreement that also addresses the new legal framework of the gambling market in the state. In the 162-page document, the governing parties explain that they provide for a strict implementation of the Gaming State Treaty and Do not intend to deviate in terms of minimum distances and multiple concessions. As a federal state, Baden-Württemberg does not use its right to adapt these regulatory measures at its own discretion and to adapt it to the market-specific circumstances. This causes a lot of criticism-including the machine association.

In the past few months, Michael Mühleck, chairman of the machine association, has not tired to emphasize that he did not consider a minimum distance of 500 meters as the crow flies for arcades and this at the same time would destroy several livelihoods in the industry. The Association “The American Automatic Industry” also expressed its displeasure with the distance regulation and agreed with the machine association.

Oxybony closures. According to some media reports, the individual industry associations assume that the resolutions of the state government will have to conclude around 80 percent of the 1,800 arcades in Baden-Württemberg on June 30th. By complying with the minimum distance of 500 meters to other arcades as well as public institutions such as schools or kindergartens, the overwhelming majority are not able to continue to offer their offer.

Mayor call for a say

The resolutions of the Baden-Württemberg coalition government not only cause heated minds within the gambling industry, but also at local political levels there is resistance. So the mayors of the cities of Nürtingen, Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Wernau and Leonberg have one Open letter to Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), in which you express your concerns about the planned implementation of the Game State Treaty.

First and foremost, they fear that the comprehensive closure of the arcades The illegal gambling is fired. Since a large part of the legal and regulated offer would be taken away from people in Baden-Württemberg, they conclude that a emigration will enter the black market.

Roland Klenk, Mayor of Leinfelden-Echterdingen, encouraged the Prime Minister in the letter to loosen compliance with the minimum distance. In his view, be More scope for the municipalities makes sense, since the past few years would have shown that the sewage order could only be guaranteed by a comprehensive and legal range of gambling. In this regard, there would have been few police law abnormalities related to arcades in the past.

Individual decision -making. The mayors of the respective cities call for a certain amount of differentiation in terms of minimum distances between arcades. Depending on the prerequisite and conditions of the municipality, they want to determine suitable distances themselves, which would still be based on the basic structure of the Gaming State Treaty.

Discrepancies also in NRW

The new legislation for the national gaming market is also being discussed intensively in other regions of the Federal Republic. So ensures in North Rhine-Westphalia Also the planned regulation for minimum distances between arcades and betting shops for mighty turmoil. However, in the most populous federal state The approved exemption, which is requested by local politicians and industry associations in Baden-Württemberg.

The state government in North Rhine-Westphalia Approval of the applicable minimum distance of 500 metersif the respective arcades meet additional qualitative requirements. In such cases, the minimum distance between two facilities must only be 100 meters. With this exemption, politics wants to react to the different conditions on site. However, the spongy -formulated criteria cause displeasure.

Qualitative requirements. The minimum distance can only be loosened up with arcades and betting agencies under certain conditions. This includes, for example, a particularly trained personnel, interpretation of information material for player aids and distance rules for slot machines. However, the individual criteria have a very large scope for interpretation.