The states of Germany are calling for stricter regulations on the nation’s 10,000 slot arcades.

According to German news source taz.de, opposing the move at the federal level is Minister for Economic Affairs Rainer Brüderle, who supports voluntary measures taken by the operators.

The issue for the states is that the casino industry is regulated and taxed at the state level. Casino operators have seen their revenues hit hard in recent years as a result of a smoking ban, economic conditions and competition, from unregulated online gaming and especially from the street slot market. Those non-casino slot venues are not subject to the same regulations as casinos.

As a result, the states are seeing less tax revenue from the casino sector.

One complaint of the states is that some operators use a loophole in the law to get more machines into a single venue. Amusement arcades may have only 12 machines per concession, but operators have been bundling licenses in a single location to offer more machines.

Another is that at present the arcades can be open around the clock. The states would like to see mandatory closure times.

By GGB Staff

Staff writers for Global Gaming Business magazine. Las Vegas, Nevada.