Berlin: Occurrence revenue flourishing

Despite a strict gambling law, Berlin generated immense income from the local arcades. This emerges from an article by the “Berliner Zeitung”. In 2021, the federal capital took around 20.36 million $ through the amusement tax.

Flourishing tax revenue from the arcades

The “Berliner Zeitung” supports the information of their report on the Statements by the FDP fraction leader Sebastian Czaja. The politician has been fighting for the decimation of the gambling market in the federal capital for some time and is a supporter of the stricter interpretation of the Gambling Act.

After a request from the daily newspaper, Czaja had ed with the Senate, to inquire about the status quo of the fight against illegal gambling. Part of the answer referred to the income that was achieved by the amusement tax last year.

The sum of over 20 million $ is remarkable in view of the dwindling gambling facilities in Berlin, but is likely to be relatively low compared to the current year. As the “Berliner Zeitung” said, the arcades in the federal capital have up to and including May 2023 already paid 16.5 million $ in taxes. It can be assumed that the limit of 20 million $ will be exceeded in the remaining months of the year.

On the descending branch. Even if the remaining arcades in Berlin are still well positioned, the current figures are no comparison to earlier days. The revenue due to the amusement tax ten years ago was a good 42 million $ . At that time, however, the federal capital housed more than 400 arcades.

Decimation of the arcades

On July 1, 2021, the new Gaming State Treaty (GlüStV) came into force, which deals primarily with the regulation of the online market, but also equipped the terrestrial segment with some new rules of the game. So the legal framework recommends one Minimum distance of 500 meters Between arcades, betting shops and other facilities that offer gambling.

The implementation of the distance regulation is responsible for the federal states. You can decide accordingly autonomously how the regional gambling market is regulated. However, since the goal was proclaimed in Berlin some time ago to reduce the high density of arcades, betting shops and the like, a minimum distance of 500 meters was introduced on the recommendation of the glow. For many gambling transactions in the federal capital, this legal interpretation meant The permanent off.

today there are still 130 arcades in Berlin. In the future it should be even less. At least that’s how politicians like Sebastian Czaja want it. Most shops are currently in the Neukölln district – 19 in number. Around 18 arcades are in the Mitte district. Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg ranks in third place. There are 14 arcades here.

Special regulation. Not all federal states have followed the recommendation of the glowing and have introduced the flat -rate minimum distance of 500 meters. For example, North Rhine-Westphalia has implemented a flexible regulation into the State Gambling Act, which allows a distance of 100 meters under certain conditions.

Companies without valid license

Czaja told the “Berliner Zeitung” that the 130 arcades are round Ten companies without valid lucky license work. A fact that, according to the FDP politician, is absolutely not justifiable and has to change as soon as possible.

Czaja criticized the Senate and accused him of having no overview of how many illegal arcades are operated in Berlin. Politics should finally be the announced Strategy against illegal terrestrial gambling Provide and implement it quickly. Both tax investigation and the police would have to be actively supported for this project.

In general, the Fight against illegal gambling the FDP politician is intensified. Gambling addiction prevention also plays a major role. As early as November 2021, Czaja found similar words and made it clear that the number of arcades in the federal capital urgently had to be reduced. That The city’s commitment is not sufficient, to accomplish this goal. Much more plays the current behavior in the black market in the cards. In the end, the players are the victims because there is not sufficient protection.

Illegal gambling. As a metropolis and metropolitan center, Berlin has always been struggling with illegal gambling activities, but which have been completely out of joint, especially during the Corona pandemic. Since the terrestrial offer in the Lockdown phases broke out completely, the demand for gambling was served in a different way. The police had to dissolve illegal gambling meetings, which mostly took place in closed restaurants and local or private apartments. The officials often confiscated non -registered slot machines.