Alarming development: Illegal gambling is on the rise
This week the “superheroes” of the vending machine world – The German Automatenwirtschaft (DAW) and the Association of Vending Machine Merchants of Berlin and East Germany (VA) – gathered for an epic “Parliamentary Evening” in Dresden.
There, DAW board spokesman Georg Stecker trumpeted a dramatic warning: Illegal gambling is spreading across the entire country like a contagious disease! The usual suspects were present: members of the Saxon state parliament, representatives of the state government of Saxony and of course the automaton Jedi.
Plug announced:
“The evaluation of the gaming regulations is currently more important than the existence of the universe! A sufficient supply of legal gambling is the only salvation from the sinister power of illegal gambling!”
The slot industry swears that only a colorful bouquet of legal games of chance can protect players from the dark side of power. But meanwhile, the industry in many federal states complains about the strict regulation of arcades like a bunch of spoiled children who don't get enough candy.
Thomas Breitkopf, the vending machine seller and president of the Federal Association of Vending Machine Entrepreneurs (BA), complained that the blocking time regulation was “as unrealistic as a vacation on Mars” and claimed that it played into the hands of illegal providers.
In Saxony, the legally required operating hours for arcades are set out in the restaurant regulations, while in the neighboring state of Saxony-Anhalt they are as relaxed as a sunny day in the outdoor pool.
Everyone wants to get involved
Even Armin Schuster, the State Minister of the Interior in Saxony, tried to be a knight in shining armor and emphasized the importance of legal providers in the fight against the dark empire of illegal gambling. He described the State Treaty on Gambling 2021 as “the great epic of player protection” praised, but he longed for even more power for gambling regulators.
Exactly what this additional power is and how it can be obtained remains a secret that the Automaton Association will probably take to the grave. But perhaps the studies currently underway will... Joint gaming supervision of the states (GGL) bring the ultimate solution to the puzzle of gambling. Until then, may the force be with them!
🙂 Rarely have I laughed so well, more of it!