NRW's GlüStV to Hold Hearing
The state parliament in North Rhine-Westphalia heard from over 20 experts during the ratification process for the Gaming State Treaty (Gambling State Treaty, GlüStV). These representatives from the gaming industry shared their views on the upcoming regulations for national gambling with the main committee. Among them were Georg Stecker, Managing Director of the German Automatic Gaming Industry Association (DAW), Manfred Stoffers for the Association of Gaming Halls (FSH), and Horst Hartmann, Managing Director of the German Automatic Gaming Association (DAV).
Criticism from the Automatic Gaming Industry
The automatic gaming industry plays a significant role in the German gaming market and has sent its leading associations to the NRW state parliament to voice their opinions on the pending ratification process for the Gambling State Treaty. Prior to this, the individual associations of the North Rhine-Westphalian state government had submitted written statements, which were now confirmed by their respective chairmen on March 1, 2021.
Georg Stecker praised the planned regulation of the industry through the GlüStV, particularly the quality features planned for commercial gaming machines. However, he criticized the continuation of minimum distances and the ban on multiple concessions. According to Stecker, reducing the number of state-licensed gaming halls promotes illegal gambling.
Illegal gambling. For many years, Germany has been facing a difficult battle against illegal gambling offers. The long-standing lack of transparency in the legal situation and conflicts with European law have created a gray area in which legality and illegality appear less distinct. The new Gambling State Treaty is supposed to resolve this issue once and for all. Unfortunately, the ongoing pandemic has caused a resurgence of the black market, with authorities and police often needing to intervene to shut down these illegal activities.
The commercial gaming industry needs a modern and contemporary regulation based on quality criteria to protect players' interests. According to Stecker, this can only be achieved by improving the quality of gaming halls and their operators. Despite some relaxation of the minimum distance requirements in North Rhine-Westphalia, he criticizes the excessive bureaucracy that hinders the improvement of the market for gaming halls in North Rhine-Westphalia. He suggests that permits should be granted to existing gaming halls if they meet the quality criteria set by the operators.
Extension of Permit Periods
Unlike Georg Stecker, Horst Hartmann focused on the permit periods for gaming hall concessions in his statement. He argued that the investments made by gaming hall operators in buildings, equipment, and furnishings were not related to the duration of their state gambling concessions. Therefore, Hartmann called for the North Rhine-Westphalia parliament to extend these permit periods, thus providing greater planning security for operators and financial stability for their employees.
Exterior Design of Gaming Halls
The exterior design of gaming halls was a topic of debate in the North Rhine-Westphalia parliament. Hartmann took a cooperative stance, expressing support for state regulation of gambling. Manfred Stoffers from FSH also discussed the same topic, emphasizing the importance of highlighting the quality of gaming halls in the public eye.
Fachverband Spielhallen e.V. FSH was established by the chairmen of the state associations of the "Bundesverband Automatenunternehmer e.V." and serves as a strong advocate for gaming hall operators across Germany. The association covers a wide range of issues to facilitate productive cooperation among all industry representatives, including the implementation of laws, the fight against illegal gambling, and the protection of players and minors.
Next Steps: Ratification
The North Rhine-Westphalia state government has shown a willingness to make some changes to the gambling state treaty. Whether these changes will be substantial remains to be seen. It appears that the minimum distance requirement and multiple concessions could be potential areas for relaxation under certain circumstances.
Ratification in Schleswig-Holstein. Just like in North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein is on the verge of ratifying the Gambling State Treaty. Georg Steck will also participate in a hearing of the Interior and Legal Affairs Committee as a representative of the DAW.
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