Occuptions in Freiburg endangered

Many arcades in Freiburg threaten the existential knockout due to a planned change in the law. The reason is the state of gambling (GlüStV), whose measures were implemented a few months ago by the Baden-Württemberg state government into the federal state’s gambling law. That state gambling law should now be implemented in Freiburg. For many arcades in the city, this legal adaptation entails the closure.

The big die of arcades

Freiburg currently has a total of Nine arcades in the city center. However, the measures of the GlüStV and the associated amendment to the State Gambling Act in Baden-Württemberg will not spare too many of these facilities.

Glüstv. In July 2021, the State Treaty came into force in July 2021 to provide the gaming market in USA with uniform rules of the game and to adapt it to the modern conditions. This should work with a liberal, but also restrictive approach. Even if the growing online segment is the focus of the legal change, any measures also apply to the state-based gambling.

The GlüstV was jointly worked out by all 16 prime ministers. It applies accordingly nationwide. Nevertheless, the exact Implementation of the individual measures to the federal states. Baden-Württemberg, however, has adhered to many of the guidelines And only a few individual adjustments made.

The Freiburg city administration has now announced that it would implement the ratified state law at the municipal level. According to current circumstances, Five of the nine arcades in Freiburg permanently close. Industry experts and observers assume that around 80 percent of terrestrial slot machines will disappear in the university city.

Minimum distance ensures closures

Maximum player and youth protection the glowing is supposed to offer both the digital and analog segment. One of the most important measures in the state -based gambling is the minimum distance. He was a much discussed topic in the ratification procedure of all state governments because he brings drastic changes for a lot of analog gambling transactions – including now in Freiburg.

The GlüStV recommends a minimum distance between arcades, betting shops and similar facilities of 500 meters. Baden-Württemberg has complied with this recommendation and obliges the municipalities in the federal state to comply. In principle, this regulation has been in effect for several months, but the arcades and betting shops in Freiburg granted an exceptionthat has previously prevented the many closures. However, the city administration now wants to put an end to the whole.

Child and youth facilities. The minimum distance does not only apply between arcades and other gambling transactions. The respective facilities in Baden-Württemberg must not fall below a distance of 500 meters to children and youth facilities. This should protect minors and young adults from the potential dangers of gambling.

Selection process decides on closure

The minimum distance is primarily responsible for which arcades in Freiburg have to close the gates forever, but there are other decision criteria. The city administration has installed a selection process based on the respective criteria. So should Fair and filtered out in the benefit of the player protection which are affected by the planned wave of closure.

The selection process checks, among other things, the precautions for compliance with youth and player protection and the initiated measures for addiction prevention. Other factors that contribute to decision -making relate to the location and the surrounding area as well as the design of the respective arcades. It also plays an important role in the procedure whether and how the facility is done with admission controls.

Request for selection processes. The selection process was requested in the course of discussions about the minimum distance of many industry associations and gambling representatives. In this regard, the spokesman was “the American automatic economy” (DAW) in many state parliament. The association chairman Georg Stecker was not tired of emphasizing that a general implementation of the minimum distance in all federal states was counterproductive for player and youth protection. The immense elimination of the legal gambling offer would make many players play in non-licensed facilities. The development automatically inspires the black market.

Talks thanks to the minimum distance

Hardly any Measure of the Gaming State Treaty was discussed as hot and intensely as the minimum distance in the run -up to the actual entry into force. In the individual state parliament, politicians, associations, industry representatives as well as gambling and search experts debated about the Sensibility and the benefits of a minimum distance For analog gaming companies.

Ultimately, however, the measure was adopted into the final elaboration of the glow. Since all prime ministers have signed the contract, it is not surprising that almost all federal states are 500 meters away installed in the respective state gambling law law to have.

Exception. The minimum distance, especially in the North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament, repeatedly triggered lengthy debates. However, the DAW managed to persuade the state government to an exception regulation that applies to high -quality arcades. If establishments are particularly striving for player and youth protection, the minimum statutory distance shrinks to 100 meters.