Commercial gaming machines will be more strictly regulated in the future. The new Gaming Ordinance came into effect. In the “rules of the game” for commercial gaming that have been in effect since then, the tightening of the rules previously called for by the Federal Council was taken into account.
Slot Machine: What Every Player Needs to Know
The player card for commercial slot machines is coming
With the changes in the Gaming Ordinance, the responsible Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has implemented a whole package of measures to improve the player and youth protection. In the future, every player will need a so-called “player card” in order to be able to use a slot machine. Only one card may be given to each player. This is to prevent someone from playing on multiple devices at the same time. The issue of the card is also linked to an age check. The player card thus serves both youth and player protection. This system may soon be imposed too to slot game providers online such as the mega888, rival slots, wms slots, and the like.
The maximum profit of EUR 400 and a loss of EUR 60 per hour
After three hours, all games are automatically paused and the devices are set to zero. Likewise, the upper limits for possible winnings and losses at the machine have been re-regulated: The maximum win per hour in slot machines may be a maximum of 400 euros (currently 500 euros). The loss must not exceed 60 euros per hour. Instead of the three gaming machines previously allowed in restaurants, only two machines may be set up per establishment in the future.
Off for automatic key and points game
Many gaming machines have a so-called automatic button. This key is used to place bets without any action on the part of the player. After the Gaming Ordinance comes into force, this automatic button should be a thing of the past. There will also no longer be any conversion of amounts of money into points (points game). In the future, stakes will only be displayed as recognizable amounts of money. Experts were recently able to prove that converting monetary values into points can undermine the legal regulations for limiting gambling losses.
The number of slot machine players had recently increased
Experts had long been calling for stricter regulation of slot machine games in restaurants and amusement arcades. For the majority of those seeking advice (for example in addiction counseling centers), this form of gambling is at the center of their problems. In a current representative study by the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA), an increasing number of slot machine players were found. 3.7% of all respondents stated that they had tried their luck at a slot machine within the last twelve months. In 2007 this proportion was 2.2%. The increase was particularly pronounced among 18-20-year-old men. Almost one in four of them (23.5%) has played a slot machine in the last twelve months.
The harmless “daddling devices” of yore, which were primarily used for entertainment, have long since developed into sophisticated high-tech devices with a high-risk potential, which are also widespread. It is to be hoped that the new rules of the game will help to reduce the risk of slot machine games and limit the problem of gambling addiction.