Germany: video shows gambling halls ready to reopen

German trade association video aims to show gambling halls are ready to re-open post-lockdown.

Germany.- The umbrella organisation Die Deutsche Automatenwirtschaft (DAW) has produced a video to show politicians that public gambling halls are ready to reopen following the Covid-19 lockdown.

The video aims to show that gambling halls can quickly and easily take steps to provide effective infection protection. 

It clearly shows best practice for arcades to follow to ensure customers are safe and explains the various hygiene measures that can be implemented at short notice.

Measures include providing alcohol gel and screens, wearing face masks and respecting social distancing requirements.

DAW has called for Germany’s 9,000 regulated arcades to be allowed to reopen as soon as possible, and the video aims to show that they are ready to do so.

The group has emphasised that with minimum distances between gaming machines, arcades are well placed to easily adopt social distancing measures as a precaution against Covid-19.

DAW CEO, Georg Stecker, said: “From the point of view of infection prevention, commercial arcades have the decisive advantage that the legal provisions for operating an arcade already correspond to the principle of social distancing. In addition, we are proposing further measures to tighten infection protection, because protecting our players is a top priority.”

Stecker added: “Ever since the commercial arcades were closed, more and more people have been playing in illegal online casinos, which have been increasing their numbers since the Coronavirus crisis and have been particularly brazen and shamelessly promoting their illegal offers.

“Players must be channeled back into legal offers To do this, the commercial arcades with their trained staff, their effective social control and their functioning player and youth protection would have to be opened again as quickly as possible.”0

Germany’s Gauselmann Group has said it is also looking forward to the end of lockdown.