The German Gaming Machine Industry Association (DAW) and the Association of Gaming Machine Operators of Berlin and Eastern Germany (AV) hosted a parliamentary evening in Potsdam, a city in the German state of Brandenburg.
Members of the Brandenburg State Parliament, representatives of the regional Government and industry stakeholders gathered for political discussions.
The meeting focused on the current state of commercial slot machine gaming and the growing challenges posed by illegal gambling.
Georg Stecker, Spokesperson for the DAW, emphasised the industry’s role as a stable part of the small and medium-sized enterprise sector and highlighted the need for balanced regulation.
Stecker said: “Our goal is to offer the highest level of consumer protection and ensure the economic viability of our companies. Without our companies, there can be no player and youth protection.
“The future of commercial slot machine gaming depends significantly on a well-considered development of the Gaming Ordinance. It must fulfil its mandate to channel gambling while also enabling a legal offer that meets public demand in order to prevent a shift towards the unprotected and unregulated illegal market.”
Rainer Genilke, Vice President of the Brandenburg State Parliament, also stressed the importance of the legal market. He said that the growth of illegal structures not only threatens fair competition but also undermines established protection standards.
Previously, legal operators such as Merkur and Löwen Entertainment have warned that the current regulatory environment is pushing players towards illegal alternatives.
Industry estimates suggest Germany now has around 160,000 legal gambling machines, while between 60,000 and over 100,000 machines are believed to be operating illegally.
The German Joint Gambling Authority of the Länder (GGL) found in a study on the online gambling black market that Germany has a channelisation rate of 77.03%
