Germany to limit slot stakes to €1

Germany to limit slot stakes to €1

As it rearranges gaming regulations, Germany could set a slot stakes cap of €1 that may have a major impact in the popular vertical.

Germany.- As lawmakers continue to discuss how to improve the regulation of the industry, some details have been leaked. Apparently, the new Treaty for gaming in Germany would set a slot stakes limit of €1.

Not only gamblers are limited, but also machines have to eliminate the autoplay function and spins must last 5 seconds. Furthermore, they can offer no slot jackpots.

“It will be interesting to monitor who will be best positioned to get these licences if a state did not choose the monopoly solution,” iGaming Business quoted an industry source. “The licensed operator of the land-based casino maybe?”

“The Prime Ministers still have this option [to change regulations],” they explained. “If they simply approve the draft, they haven’t understood what this is about. The suggested restrictions and supervision measures are sufficient – as demonstrated in other European countries – to provide effective player protection and market-oriented regulation.”

Operators’ wishlist

Deutsche Automatenwirtschaft (DAW), which is the umbrella association in charge of gaming machine manufacturers and suppliers, had published a key paper in which it highlights a series of changes that must be addressed before a re-regulation of the market.

DAW said that in order to further strengthen player protection, a coherent regulation based exclusively on quality criteria is needed. It also said that it should be based in its key issue paper, where it makes concrete proposals for the regulation of the commercial slots machines.

The association called for the introduction of a nationally-standardised biometric access system to ensure cross-training self-exclusion. Independent certification of gambling halls, along with further qualification of access to the profession of machine entrepreneur is also needed.

However, it got slapped with a stakes limit in Germany instead.

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Gaming regulation